Elemental Secrets
by Bookworm0913
Summary: An A/U taking place in the middle of Sailor Moon Classic. Serena flees Tokyo after Darien was taken by Beryl. Meanwhile, Darien has escaped from Beryl's clutches, finding himself in a city with some familiar and unfamiliar faces. Are they friend or foe?
1. Chapter 1: Begin Again

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, or any of the canon characters. The non-canon characters are merely figments that have escaped from my imagination.

Author's Note: This story does not take place in the same universe as my other trilogy. There may be some familiar characters, but this is a different universe, and they will be a little different as well. Now, on with the new Sailor Moon story!

Chapter One: Begin Again

He stumbled through the dark caverns, shivering in the cold. His green jacket provided little protection against the Artic cold, but he dare not use his henshin rose. Not when he was sure Beryl could use it to find him.

"There's got to be some way out of here. I have to get back to Tokyo, back to Serena," he muttered through chattering teeth. "She needs my help."

He pressed on, checking ever door he came across. These, however, seemed to lead only to rooms filled with motionless youma.

"She has a whole army stored up here. Lucky for us, she's never decided to use all of them. The Scouts and I would never stand a chance."

Footsteps echoed down the hall behind him. Dread filled his midnight blue eyes. He ran down the cavernous passage, now bereft of doors. On and on he ran, hoping to escape his pursuer. He bit back a groan. The end of the passage loomed ahead of him, a dead end. Desperately, he looked around for a door, any door. He'd even hide in a room full of youma, if necessary.

He spotted one, hidden between two large protrusions from the wall. It was a rather narrow door. He'd be hard pressed to squeeze through it, but it was his only hope. He ran to it, only to find it locked.

"No," he muttered.

He stepped back, his foot sending something skittering across the floor. Looking down, he found a pewter key, topped with an ivory skull.. He pounced on it, fitting it into the door's lock. He didn't even bother to look before he ran through, palming the key and shutting the door behind him.

He blinked, temporarily blinded by the brightness on the other side of the door. He was no longer in the icy Artic tunnels that served as the base for Queen Beryl of the Negaverse. Instead, he stood in a sunny park. Trees separated him from the laughing children he could hear only a few feet away. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a large shed, used for keeping tools.

"Where am I?"

The key was dropped into his pocket as he moved away from the shed. The sunlight abruptly dimmed. Looking up, he saw rain clouds moving in to block the sun.

"Just great."

Peering through the trees, he saw parents gathering the children together. Several of them were sending wary glances at the ominous clouds.

He slowly emerged from the trees, looking around for some clue as to where he was.

"You seem a little lost, Prince Endymion."

He whirled to face the speaker. A thin, pale boy, about fourteen years of age, sat on a wooden bench. Despite the clouds, he still wore a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Straight black hair fell to his chin. A golden retriever sat beside him, trussed up in an odd-looking harness. It took him a few moments to recognize it as a harness for a seeing eye dog.

"Who are you?"

"You don't recognize us, your highness? We've been waiting, you know, waiting for you to call us. But, I suppose, your memories might not be intact. Reincarnation is a tricky business, I've been told. Come on. We'd better get inside before this storm hits."

The boy wrapped his hand around the handle of the harness before standing up. He started down the path out of the park. When the man didn't follow, he looked back.

"Are you coming or not, your highness? I promise, we won't hurt you. We only wish to help." The boy stared a him. "You _can _trust me."

Reluctantly, Darien Shields followed the boy out of the park.

* * *

><p>"She's such a flake! She couldn't even make it to the fight!" Sailor Mars complained. "We're lucky you could destroy that youma yourself, Venus."<p>

The blonde scout frowned. "Maybe something happened to her."

"Yeah, she probably tripped and woke her parents with her wailing," grumbled Mars.

Jupiter nodded. "All too likely, unfortunately."

None of them saw the blonde girl, hiding just around the corner of the building. None of them saw the tears that fell from gentle, blue eyes. They didn't see her walk away, a slight limp in her step and bruises up and down her arms from the youma that had ambushed her on her way to the battle. They didn't hear the whispered farewell as she was swallowed by the night.

But, just as they did not hear her, she did not hear the declaration that fell from Mercury's lips.

"You're far too harsh on her, Mars! She's trying her best, giving everything she has! Loosing Darien just about destroyed her! Besides, she didn't get the training in the Silver Millennium that we did! She was never supposed to fight, and you know it! So, cut her some slack!"

The three other scouts stared in amazement at the usually mild-mannered, blue-haired scout.

* * *

><p>Serena sat on a bench in the middle of Juuban Park. In her lap rested her Star Locket and the Crescent Moon Wand. Carefully, she removed the crystal from it's base in the wand.<p>

"Sailor Pluto, I need to speak with you." Her voice trembled and she drew a steadying breath.

Mist crept around her. Rising, she walked forward, until she reached the Gate, standing in the middle of nowhere.

The green-haired guardian of time turned to face the Moon Princess. "What can I do for you, Serenity?"

"I can't stay in Tokyo anymore. None of the scouts believe in me. They think I'm a failure as a scout. None of them even consider that I might be facing youma without calling them, just to give them a semblance of a normal life! They don't ask about the unexplained injuries! They just call me a flake, a coward. I can't take anymore! Please, Pluto, help me!" Tears poured freely down the young girl's face.

Without dropping her staff, Pluto stepped forward and wrapped the princess in a tight embrace. "There, there, Serenity. I will do what you ask. I will send you someplace far away from Tokyo, someplace where Beryl can't find you. You'll be alright."

Slowly, the blonde girl managed to pull herself back together.

"What will I do with the Silver Crystal?" She looked up at the older woman. "I can't leave it with any of the scouts. I can't go back long enough to do that."

"You'll keep it with you, protected." Sailor Pluto explained.

From out of the mist she drew a silver bracelet. There was a silver star, just large enough to hold the silver crystal, set on a wide silver band, with intricate lacework.

"Thank you, Pluto," whispered Serena, settling the crystal in it's new home. "Will you look after the wand for right now?"

"Absolutely. All you're going to have to do is walk through the gate. Everything on the other side will have been taken care of for you, your new life awaits."

Smiling sadly, Serena stepped through the gates, leaving Tokyo and her fellow scouts behind. Sailor Pluto watched her leave, her time staff in one hand, the Crescent Moon wand in the other.

"Good luck, Serena. May you find happiness in your new life." The sailor scout of time whispered, as the doors closed behind the girl_._

* * *

><p>Alright, so the first chapter of my newest Sailor Moon story is up! I wasn't planning on starting this one so soon, but it kept bugging me. Wouldn't leave me alone. So, I decided, why not? I'll go ahead and start working on it. Thus, you have the first chapter of Elemental Secrets. Care to tell me what you think? Of course I want to know! I don't care if you like it or hate it, just tell me! Yes, this may seem similar to other stories, right now, but I have my own little twists planned! Just you wait! So, please, review?<p>

Reposted to fix a formatting error.


	2. Chapter 2: Element Awakens

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, or any of the canon characters. The non-canon characters are merely figments that have escaped from my imagination.

Chapter Two: Element Awakens!

"Hey, Miyako, great spike today!" A brunette girl ran down the hallway, shouting over her shoulder.

The raven-haired girl smiled. "Thanks, Bethany."

She turned to her locker, spinning the combination quickly.

"She's right. It was an excellent practice, today," remarked another voice.

Miyako closed her locker, coming face to face with her two best friends.

Cleopatra Lambert was the taller of the two. Heaven help anyone who actually called her Cleopatra, though. It was Cleo. Her elbow-length hair was so pale it was almost white. Miyako couldn't help but envy her friend's permanent tan. She never, however, wanted to be on the receiving end of the hint of mischief ever present in Cleo's pale grey eyes. As Cleo's adopted sister, it often proved difficult.

On the other hand, Aurelia Agni, Lia to her family and friends, had golden blonde hair, cropped to her earlobes. A few strands of it almost always fell into bright blue eyes, eyes that reminded both of her friends of the blue center of a flame. She shared the same fair skin as Miyako, skin that turned lobster red if they stayed out in the sun for too long.

"I don't know. Usagi really seemed to be the best player out there, today," commented Miyako, shoving her long black braid over her shoulder. "I've never seen her so determined."

As if summoned by her name, another blonde girl walked down the hall to her locker. Her lighter blonde hair was pulled up into a bun at the back of her head, with a ponytail falling out of it, down past her shoulders. Silently, she grabbed her books from her locker and shut the door.

"Hey, Usagi, we're heading to Melanthios. Care to join us?" Cleo called out.

Usagi shook her head, her blue eyes sorrowful. "I have to study. Maybe some other time."

She swept down the hall and out the doors.

"She always has to study. No wonder she's top of the class," grumbled Lia.

Miyako stared at her friend. "Give her a break. She's new here. I'm sure she's just shy."

"Won't stop me from inviting her," added Cleo. "No one should be that lonely."

"We better get going. We have to hurry if we want to get any of the chocolate cheesecake." Miyako shouldered her book bag.

Lia yelped before running towards the door. "What are we waiting for? The grass to grow?"

* * *

><p>Usagi walked slowly down the main street of Terrarose. Her gaze was fixed on the smooth pavement of the sidewalk. Even with her downcast gaze, she managed to avoid running into anyone.<p>

_It'd be hard for anyone from Tokyo to recognize me,_ she thought. _My earlier statement would have given the scouts a heart attack. Serena, voluntarily going to study? The world must be coming to an end! No, never mind that! I'm not Serena Tsukino any more. I'm Usagi Moon, top student at Fire Rose Private Academy and member of the school volleyball team. Stupid extracurricular requirement!_

She glanced up as she reached the corner. She looked wistfully at the display in the picture window of a white, two-story house. The first floor had been converted into a bookstore and café, one she had occasionally visited, but it was hard to step inside. She looked away as a person moved in to change the display, hurrying on her way.

"_Srenty!"_ A voice called out.

Usagi whirled around but couldn't find anyone looking at her. Who was Srenty? The name almost sounded like Serenity. But no one here knew who she was.

"_Srenty! Help me! Srenty!"_

With a shake of her head, Usagi dashed down the street to the brick apartment building where she was living.

* * *

><p>"Which books did you want me to pull out, Harper?" Darien called over his shoulder.<p>

He pulled the display table towards him, just far enough he could get in front of it.

"Just the small stack on the left," called a slightly deeper voice. "I really appreciate this, Darien."

Darien grinned over at the other young man. "I understand, Harper. Really, I do."

The young man nodded, taking the books from Darien's hands and handing him six more.

"These go in the same spot."

Dark grey hair, so dark it could almost be called black, fell down around his ears as he straightened. His crimson eyes were solemn, despite the grin on his face. He glanced over his shoulder as he fiddled with the pewter skull that hung on a chain around his neck.

"I know you want to get back to Tokyo, it's just," Harper began.

"It's alright. I understand." Darien held up his hand. "I can't go back to Tokyo right now, anyway. It'd be too dangerous to have two of me running around. I can wait a few months to go back, Harper."

"Hey, Harper! Is there any of that chocolate cheesecake left?" Miyako came bounding over, a huge smile on her face. "Oh, who's your friend?"

"This is Darien Shields, a distant cousin of mine. He's staying with us for a couple of months. He'll be helping out around the shop," explained Harper. "Darien, this is Miyako Lambert, one of the stars of Fire Rose Academy's volleyball team. She's also one of my most frequent customers."

Darien nodded. "It's a pleasure, Miss Lambert."

"So formal! Call me Miyako. So, Harper, about that cheesecake?"

"I'll go get it. I put one back for our star volleyball players." He laughed as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Miyako gave another grin to Darien. "I'm sure I'll see you around. Like Harper said, I'm here almost every day!"

She darted away from the front window, back to a pair of blonde girls near the counter.

"So, you've met Miyako," said a quiet voice. "Quite a bundle of energy, isn't she?"

Darien nodded, sadly. "She reminds me of someone from Tokyo."

His eyes turned away from the customers crowding the counter as Harper pulled out another large chocolate cheesecake.

"So, how was school today, Owen?"

Owen grinned, pushing his mirrored sunglasses back up his nose. "The same old, same old. You're counting the days until Harper can get you back to Tokyo. I know you are, your hi-, sorry, Darien."

"You're getting better at that. Care to explain how you and your brother know who I am?"

"Your memories will return in time," replied Owen, shaking his head. "Just be patient."

He turned and walked up the staircase to the rooms above the bookstore/café. Darien watched the blind boy walk away, before glancing towards the calendar. It was hard to believe that, miles away in Tokyo, he was running around, completely clueless that he was Tuxedo Mask and trying to figure out why he was having blackouts.

"_Endimon! Endimon! Hear me! Endimon!"_

Darien turned. That voice had sounded familiar. But, who was it? It wasn't like when Serenity appeared to him in his dreams. Still, he couldn't shake the fact that he should know that voice. And, he should know why she was calling him Endimon.

* * *

><p>"Good night, Marilyn. I'll see you tomorrow!" Miyako pulled the hood of her jacket over her hair.<p>

Marilyn, an older, round woman with grey-streaked chestnut hair, looked up from pulling her keys from her purse. "Are you sure you don't want a ride home, Miyako? It's pouring out there, and with all those strange incidents in Rosefeld Park, I'm not sure it's safe!"

"I'll be fine, Marilyn. I promise!" The raven-haired girl slid her hands into her pockets. "With all this rain, I'm sure no one will be in the park. Besides, I love a good autumn rainstorm!"

Miyako turned and ran out the door, into the middle of the pouring rain. Marilyn just shook her head as she watched the young library volunteer disappear into the downpour.

_I can handle myself. I don't need anyone babying me,_ thought Miyako as she turned down the path through the center of Rosefeld Park. _I'll be just fine!_

She turned and ran towards the fountain in the center. It would mark the halfway point between the library and the apartment she shared with her family. Just before she reached the fountain, the rain stopped.

"Thank goodness for that!"

A smile crossed her face as she jogged past the fountain.

"Hello, dearie. Let's have that energy of yours," sneered a high-pitched voice.

Miyako whirled around. Standing on the top of the fountain was a thin woman, dressed in a dark orange jumpsuit, with bright, fire-orange hair pulled into a high ponytail, falling straight down to her knees.

"Let's get all that energy from you. It will be perfect for my master's experiments!" The woman jumped down, her hands outstretched.

Her hands latched around Miyako's neck. Miyako's eyes drifted closed as she felt her energy being pulled away by this strange woman.

"Hands off the girl, Experia!" A voice echoed through the park.

Miyako's eyes flickered open. She caught a flash of pink, purple, and silver, before she was dropped to the ground.

"You can't stop me, Sailor R!" Experia exclaimed. "I will have this girl's energy! The Anti-Elements will gain control of this world!"

_Anti-Elements? Who are the Anti-Elements?_ Miyako's mind was stuck on the term.

She lay on the ground, unable to move as she watched Experia fighting against a blonde girl in a sailor fuku. Her hot pink sailor scarf flapped behind her as she leapt out of the way of Experia's attack. Three tiers formed her skirt, the top layer being lavender, the middle silver, and the bottom was the same hot pink as her scarf. A ribbon of the same pink was wrapped around her waist in place of a belt, tied in the back, with the ends trailing down to her knees. Her white boots came up to her knees, with the same hot pink around the top. A lavender bow was tied in front, just below her scarf. Silver stars twinkled in the center of her lavender bow, in the middle of her ribbon belt, and on the down-pointed cuffs of her boots. Her sleeves were three tiers of transparent fabric, and her choker was lavender.

Sailor R grinned as she lifted her right hand. A silver bracelet with a silver star dangled around her wrist.

"Regal Star Magic!"

A blast of silver energy, wrapped in pink and lavender, shot out from the bracelet, slamming into Experia. The woman dropped to her knees, before struggling back up.

"No! That should have worked!" Sailor R yelped. "Why didn't it work?"

Miyako struggled against the darkness closing in around her. Experia had taken a great deal of her energy. She was having a hard time even keeping her eyes open.

_No, I can't be beaten. Not like this. I can't lose now. I have too much at stake._ She forced her eyes to open. _I will be strong! I will win!_

She felt her energy returning to her, but something about it felt different, stronger. Images flashed through her mind, even as she rose to her feet.

_A teenaged boy with short, black hair picked her up and whirled her around. The smile on his face was echoed in his midnight blue eyes, so like her own._

_-8-  
><em>

_Seven figures knelt before her. The one in the center was dressed in red, with blonde hair. Spreading out to the left were a figure with tawny hair, dressed in black, another blonde, this time in blue, and a redhead in brown. On the other side, to her right, were a green-clad figure with silver hair, a brown-haired figure in copper, and an orange-haired, yellow-clad figure._

_-8-  
><em>

_A girl in a red sailor fuku, holding a sword covered in fire, leapt between her and a charging monster._

_-8-  
><em>

_A man in black armor stepped forward. Torch light illuminated his tawny hair but left his face in shadows. She ran forward, throwing her arms around his neck._

_-8-  
><em>

_The man in the black armor charged at another man, dressed in shimmering white armor. Sword blades clashed, sending sparks flying._

_-8-  
><em>

_A purple rose was trapped within a bubble of transparent crystal. Wings rose at the bottom of the crystal, cradling it on top of a slender silver key. The key floated inches above her outstretched hands. The light spread out around her, enveloping everything in its path._

Miyako looked down. She had reached out her hands without realizing it. A violet light appeared over them. For a moment, she expected the key from her visions. Instead, a silver, almost spherical broach dropped down into her hands. A rose, carved from amethyst, was set into the center. Surrounding it was an engraved circle with seven stones evenly spaced around it. At the top was a red crystal. Moving clock-wise, she encountered a green crystal, a bead of copper, a yellow crystal, a brown crystal, a blue crystal, and a black stone.

Acting on instinct, she lifted the broach into the air.

"Soul of the Elements!"

Violet light swirled around her. When it faded, she looked down. Her jeans, long-sleeved green t-shirt, and black jacket had been replaced by her own sailor fuku. A mustard yellow skirt brushed her thighs as she moved. The dark brown cuffs from her white gloves rested just above her elbows. A v-like band of the same dark brown wrapped around her wrist. Red boots came up to a point, over her knees, with a pink band wrapped around her ankles. A light blue bow was tied in front of her chest, a circular purple crystal resting in the center. Turning her head, she saw a dark green sailor scarf fluttering behind her, and a light blue bow tied at the small of her back.

Experia turned, seeing her former victim transformed. With a shriek, she launched a ball of energy at Miyako. The girl easily leapt out of the way.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the fountain as she flipped over it. Her hair was still black, bound in its braid. But a silver tiara had appeared on her forehead, another purple crystal in its center.

"What in the world?"

Sailor R jumped up to land beside her. "Our best bet is to attack her at the same time."

"Attack? How do I attack her?" Miyako screeched. "I have no idea what I'm doing!"

"Just relax. It will come to you," advised the other scout. "Take a deep breath."

Sailor R lifted her wrist, ready to deliver another attack.

Miyako took her deep breath, closing her eyes. Just as Sailor R had said, the information was there. Opening her eyes, she raised her hand. Holding it open, palm facing Experia, she nodded to Sailor R.

"Regal Star Magic!"

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

Sailor R's silver, lavender and pink attack slammed into Experia only a few seconds before a violet sphere of energy from Miyako's hand.

"You haven't won yet!" Experia screamed, just before she turned to dust.

"Excellently done. What is your name by the way?" Sailor R inquired. "I don't mean your civilian identity. I mean the name for your transformation."

Miyako blinked a few times. Then, the name came to her, just the way the attack and transformation phrase had.

"Sailor Element. I'm Sailor Element."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sailor Element."

With that, Sailor R turned and disappeared over the tops of the trees. Miyako, Sailor Element, let out a sigh of relief as another wave of purple light encircled her. Her jeans, shirt, and jacket were surprisingly not as comfortable as the fuku had been.

"That's just weird."

Determined to forget all about it, she continued on her way home. Doubtless her adopted siblings would be worried over her tardiness.

* * *

><p>There we go! The second chapter of Elemental Secrets! Can you believe I got writer's block in the middle of the battle? And then I went and misplaced all my notes for this story! I'm still in the process of relocating them all, so it may be a while before I get the next chapter up. If I do get one up soon, it'll probably be a short one, not at all like this one!<p>

Yes, it does seem like this chapter focused around Miyako more than anyone else. But, if I could pick a third character, it would be her. You'll see what I mean!

Anyone who read my previous Sailor Moon stories might be able to take a guess at Owen and Harper's former identities! I won't hold it against you if you haven't read them. However, I won't say anything about them just yet. I'll let them reveal themselves in time. Though, I think they'll be getting a little more screen time than they did in their last appearances!

12/18/2012: Re-posted to fix some plot alterations. Nothing really major, mostly in detail work.


	3. Chapter 3: It's Not Possible

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination.

Chapter Three: That's Not Possible

Darien rounded the corner, skirting around the edge of the park. It was extremely quiet, this early in the morning, but he didn't mind. Saturday mornings were one of the few times Harper ordered him out of the bookstore. He said he had more than enough help. Besides, Harper had insisted, Darien needed a day off.

He shook his head. Not that there was much for him to do in Terrarose. He was pretending to be Harper and Owen's cousin, who was taking a year off between high school and college, so he didn't have to worry about attending school or finishing homework. He didn't really know any of the people in Terrarose, besides the Melanthios brothers, so he didn't have anyone to hang out with, like he occasionally got to do with Andrew. What was the point, really? He would be leaving right around Christmas, on his way back to Tokyo.

It was still hard to believe escaping Beryl through that door hadn't just sent him to a different country, but also back in time. Still, it wouldn't be much longer. Halloween was only two weeks away, and that meant it was just over two months till he headed back to Tokyo.

Still, it was refreshing to get out for an early morning jog. It was a great way to clear his head, even if part of him did half expect Serena to round the corner and crash into him.

How he missed her, missed her ever sunny smile and hyperactive cheerfulness. He missed arguing with her, just to get her attention. Serena, his meatball head, his princess. Part of him had thought of her that way, before he found out she really was the Moon Princess. He could hardly wait those two months to see her again.

A blonde figure jogged out of the park ahead of him. She stopped near the entrance to take a drink from the water fountain. Darien froze. The hair was the same blonde as Serena's. When she had stopped, he had caught a glimpse of her eyes, the same clear blue. Though, her eyes held a haunted look, so different from Serena's joy. And her single ponytail was shorter, only falling to her shoulders from her one bun at the top of her head.

"It can't be Serena, anyway," he muttered to himself. "Snap out of it, Shields. She's back in Tokyo, anyway, fighting against the Negaverse with Sailor Mercury."

At least, he was fairly certain Amy had already joined the fight. But, he admitted to himself, he hadn't really been paying attention to the date when the other scouts had joined his Serena.

The girl finished her drink and jogged up the street, away from Darien, out towards the edge of town. Something pulled at Darien, encouraging him to follow her., but he ignored it. He turned and headed back towards Melanthios Books and Coffee. Maybe Harper could use him, after all. He needed something to distract him from daydreaming about Serena again. Nothing good would come of pining for her.

* * *

><p>Usagi left the park, trying to get the metallic aftertaste out of her mouth. She much preferred the water from her apartment's sink, but she, in a moment of meatball-headedness, forgotten her water bottle on the counter this morning. She hadn't realized it until she was half-way through her morning jog, and she really didn't have time to turn back and grab it.<p>

She'd begun to understand a lot of things, living in Terrarose and being Usagi Moon. She'd come to understand why Darien had loved being up this early in the morning for a jog around Tokyo. There was a certain, indescribable special quality to the quiet, early morning air. And she'd really gotten to understand why he and Amy had loved studying so much. Bringing home all those high grades, even if there was no one to praise her for them, had their own specialness. Though, she attributed part of her academic success to not having anyone nag her over her grades and throw her out of the house, the way her mother often did.

Officially, she was living under the guardianship of her cousin, Trista Meioh, Sailor Pluto's current civilian identity. Usagi knew she had several of them, over the centuries. The Sailor Scout of time, however, was willing to let the Moon Princess stand on her own two feet in Terrarose. She would occasionally show up, just to check on Usagi, and she had an account set up to automatically pay all the bills, so Usagi didn't have to worry about those. She did have to do all the grocery shopping. At least her enormous appetite covered for the fact that only one person was eating all the groceries. And Usagi had gotten a little better at cooking, too. Her food was nowhere near Lita's level, but at least she didn't risk poisoning anyone who ate it, especially herself.

The only one she missed, aside from the enormous ache for Darien, was Luna. The cat had been the only one to believe in her, when they discovered she was the real princess. Luna had known about the other attacks, the ones she had fought off on her own. After all, Luna had helped her cover up the wounds she received on more than one occasion, just as Tuxedo Mask had. Both had been sworn to secrecy by Sailor Moon. But the cat had mysteriously disappeared, along with Artemis. The two of them had mentioned something about searching for Beryl's base, a few days before Serena left, but no one had heard from them since.

Usagi found another good purpose for studying and training. It helped her to push Darien to the back of her mind. She couldn't let herself dwell on her failure to save her one true love from Beryl's clutches. Part of her wanted to ignore Pluto's warnings and go back to Tokyo, to take out Beryl now, before she could hurt anyone else. Pluto had sat down with her, just after they set up their apartment in Terrarose. If Usagi went back to Tokyo while Serena was still there, she risked killing everyone, not just Beryl. Every time she thought about going back, she remembered that, and she stayed in Terrarose, continuing her fight against the Void and the Anti-Elements.

Which led her to her current destination, an old abandoned farm on the edge of town. The house was still in fairly good shape, though completely empty. The barn, several yards away, looked like the slightest breeze could blow it over. Appearances, however, were deceiving. The barn was her personal training ground and headquarters, rigged up by Usagi and Pluto.

Usagi pushed aside a hidden door and entered the barn. Unless a person was keyed into the system, the door wouldn't budge. Inside, she looked around at the smooth walls and floor of the training room. A few commands into the computer system would shift the room into the desired training terrain. She wasn't exactly sure where Pluto had gotten the technology to pull it off. It didn't resemble anything she remembered from the Moon Kingdom, when she had watched her Inner Scouts train.

Since Sailor Element had come on the scene, the two of them had occasionally met in the park to train against each other, but the newer scout hadn't been out to the barn, yet. Last night, Pluto had stopped by to visit, so Usagi had been able to modify the program and let Sailor Element into the barn. Today would be the newer scout's first training session inside the state-of-the-art training room.

Taking a deep breath, Usagi lifted her right hand, fisting it as she brought it up before her left shoulder.

"Royal Star Power!"

Lavender, light pink, pale blue, white and silver light swirled around her. She felt her jogging outfit dissolve to be replaced by her new fuku. She still didn't quite get the pale blue light. After all, there wasn't any blue in her new uniform. But, there had been blue in _his_ uniform. She shook her head. Now was not the time to figure out _that_ riddle.

As the light from her transformation faded, she heard the door open. Turning, she saw Miyako step into the room, her jaw dropping.

"We were practicing in the park why?" Miyako demanded.

Sailor R shrugged. "I had to modify the system to let you in. Otherwise, I'd have brought you here, sooner. So, shall we get to work?"

Miyako nodded, lifting her right hand over her head, her broach in her hand.

"Soul of the Elements!"

Violet light once more wrapped around the ebon-haired girl, transforming her jeans and green jacket into her multi-colored fuku.

As they began warming up, Sailor Element looked over at her. "You know, I still don't know your civilian identity."

"And I currently have no plans to tell you what it is," answered the blonde scout.

"So, how do you do it? Fight the Void and maintain a normal life with your family and friends? How do you juggle time with them between school, training, and fighting?"

"I don't. It can't be done," replied Sailor R, shortly. "In the fight to protect the world, sacrifices must be made. A normal life is one of them."

Sailor Element stared at her, stunned.

"Are we going to train or not?" Sailor R snapped, returning to her warm-ups.

* * *

><p>Darien stepped into the bookstore. The café area was almost full, while there were only a few people browsing the shelves.<p>

Decorations had already begun appearing around the store. Spiders in their webs clung to the corners. Ghosts hung between the shelves, almost as if waiting to attack the unsuspecting customers. Darien could see the mummy in its sarcophagus and the vampire in his coffin that he had helped set up, just yesterday.

Another blonde girl was walking from table to table, a round tray in her hands. She was dressed somewhat casually for working in the café. A white apron, edged in lace, wrapped around her waist and fell half-way to her knees. The rest of her uniform was a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. Only her shoes seemed more appropriate for her job, a pair of sensible black flats. For a moment, he thought she might be the girl he had seen at Rosefeld Park. He quickly realized that girl had been jogging in the wrong direction to beat him here. Besides, her hair was a shade darker and far too curly to be the same girl. Then, she spun to answer a customer's question and it was confirmed to be a different girl. Her eyes were a bright green, not the same clear blue that girl and Serena shared.

"That's Isolde Marlowe," stated Owen, coming up behind Darien. "She only works here on Saturday mornings, when she can. She's an aspiring ballerina, or so she claims. They just got done with their big fall dance recital, so she has a little more time to dedicate to her job."

It still amazed Darien how silently the blind boy could move. He hadn't even heard a whisper, before Owen started speaking.

He turned to look at the younger boy. For once, his seeing eye dog, Vista, wasn't with him. Then he remembered that Vista had been taken to the vet earlier that morning for a required check-up. It was odd to see Owen without the canine. Instead, a white cane rested in the young boy's hand.

"Doesn't look like your brother needs any help. She seems to have everything under control," remarked Darien.

"Isolde usually does. She can run most of the café on her own, and Noland works the kitchen. That way, if someone actually does want help looking for a book, Harper can step over. Though this early on a Saturday, most people just want Noland's pastries and coffee."

"Noland?"

"Noland Baker, appropriate last name, actually. He lives here in Terrarose, attends Terrarose Community College, out to the west of town. He's big into Astronomy, and the college actually offers classes on it. When he's not in class or working here, he's putting in hours over at Rosefeld Observatory. Mostly its maintenance work, but he says that's fine with him. His dad isn't thrilled with his career choices. I don't think Noland really cares, though."

"How come I've never met him?"

"Like Isolde, he's normally a Saturday morning employee only. If something's going on in town, he and Isolde will be here to help out. Mostly, though, Harper can run this place on his own. He's had a few centuries of practice, after all."

Darien nodded. He opened his mouth to ask another question when a scream rang out across the busy café.

Owen froze, tightening his grip on his cane. Darien's hand instinctively went for his pocket, where he kept his transformation rose. His hand tightened on the rose, before releasing. He could still feel the dark energy from Beryl and Metallia in the flower. He didn't dare use it until he could get to Serena and have her purify it.

In the doorway stood a strange creature, completely inhuman in appearance. It was rather more like a large blob of power, sucking the energy from the people.

"Not good!" Owen yelped.

He threw himself sideways, out of the way of a blast from the blob. Darien dove in the opposite direction. He saw Harper rush forward, instructing people away from the café entrance and out the bookstore doors. A tall man with brunette hair opened the door to the kitchen, ushering more customers out that way. In the midst of it all, Isolde was helping direct them, too. Quickly, Darien leapt to his feet to help get people out, Owen at his side. Despite their efforts, several customers fell to the blob's attacks.

Soon the only people left standing in the café were Harper, Owen, Darien, Isolde, and the brunette man. The customers had either fled or were unconscious on the floor. The blob turned on them, striking Isolde first. She let out a startled cry before crumpling to the floor. The brunette man turned and charged at the blob.

"Noland, wait!" Harper yelled.

Noland didn't hesitate. He slammed into the blob, before being thrown backward, out like a light.

White light shimmered over Harper, changing his slacks and polo-shirt into a white and gold uniform Darien seemed to recognize. A dark brown cape billowed behind him, lined in purest white. Just a few feet away, Owen underwent a similar transformation, though the lining on his cape was black, blacker than anything Darien had ever seen.

A female voice yelled out, "Stop right there, you nasty thing!"

"You really need to work on your speeches, Sailor Element!" Another voice called out.

Darien turned to see two sailor scouts standing in the bookstore entrance, one in purple, pink and silver, and the other who looked like she wore all the colors of the rainbow.

The blob turned to face them, shooting out two gooey black arms. Both scouts jumped up, out of the way. Together, they landed on two of the café tables, hair flying out behind them.

"I am Sailor R, defender of light and justice, and I will not allow you to steal the energy of these people!" The purple, pink, and silver scout declared, lifting her right hand before her, brandishing her silver star bracelet.

The other scout nodded. "For the Garden of the Elements, I will be strong. You will not survive this fight, Creature of the Void! For I am Sailor Element!"

The blob surged towards them, once more reaching out with its oozing arms. Sailor R spun away, crossing her arms. Her silver bracelet began to glow as she turned to face the monster again.

"Regal Star Magic!"

Silver energy, with purple and pink wrapped around it, sliced through the blob, splitting it almost in half. It shuddered, trying to pull itself back together.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

Sailor Element's orb of violet energy collided with the struggling blob. It gave an ear-piercing shriek before dissolving into thin air.

"Who are the two of you?" Darien demanded.

Sailor R turned to face the ebon haired man. The breath caught in her throat. It couldn't be Darien. He should be in Tokyo, fighting the Negaverse as Tuxedo Mask, still free from Beryl's clutches. But, then, who was this man who looked so much like him?

"Sailor Element, sailor scout of the Garden of the Elements," answered the multi-colored scout, pushing her black braid back over her shoulder. "And my companion is Sailor R."

The blonde scout nodded, mutely. Darien's name kept racing around in her head.

Taking a few deep breaths, she managed to compose herself.

"And what is it to you? We should be going, Sailor Element. We still have things to do, after all."

She turned her back on Darien and walked out of the café, Sailor Element only a few steps behind her.

Darien blinked, surprised a little at the distant tone in Sailor R's voice.

"Your highness, are you alright?" Harper asked, stepping forward, Owen at his side.

Dark blue eyes looked over at the two of them. But it wasn't the walls of the café Darien saw behind them. Instead, it was a grassy plain, and they weren't alone. Four more men stood around him. He caught sight of the golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes he knew belonged to Jedite. And there was Malachite, with his grey hair and eyes. And there was Neflite, brown haired and brown eyed. Zoycite hovered behind them, shoving dark blonde curls out of bright green eyes. Why were the Generals of the Negaverse standing with Harper and Owen? What was going on? They weren't wearing the dark uniforms of the Negaverse, either. They were all in the same white, gold, and brown uniforms Harper and Owen had.

Darien grabbed his head as a sharp pain shot through it. He stumbled backward, almost falling into the tables, before Harper grabbed him. Looking up, he saw the uniforms had vanished. The two were back in their normal clothes, as if nothing at all had happened.

"What's going on, Harper? What do you know about the Generals of the Dark Kingdom?" Darien glared at him, feeling the familiar power that came from his past life as Prince Endymion, the power he had only tapped into once in this life, when he lay dying after saving his princess. "I want to know the truth, Harper."

Harper sighed. "That's going to take some explaining, your highness. Quite a bit of explaining. It's better saved for after closing. I'll tell you everything then. I promise. On my honor as the Shitennou of Souls, I will explain."

He turned away from Darien and walked back over to the customers, who were quickly recovering from the attack, now that the blob had been destroyed.

* * *

><p>Miyako sat at the edge of the lagoon, in the middle of Rosefeld Park. She couldn't get the image out of her head. She had seen the man standing a few feet away from Darien Shields, the man with dark hair and crimson eyes. There was something familiar about him, as if she had seen him somewhere before. The name 'Hades' echoed in her mind, but she couldn't figure out what he had to do with the Greek god of the dead.<p>

* * *

><p>Blue eyes stared down into a mug of hot chocolate. Blonde hair tumbled down to the floor, freed from its constraining style. Tears fell from her eyes, watering down her hot drink.<p>

"Darien, I need you so much! You always were my strength," she sobbed. "Darien!"

* * *

><p>And there we go, at long last, chapter three! Took me forever to figure out what to do with this one! Darien and Serena have run into each other at long last! Harper and Owen are definitely keeping secrets, but so is Pluto. But, she always has secrets she's keeping from somebody!<p>

How long will it take for Darien and Serena to figure out the other really is in Terrarose? What is Harper going to explain to Darien? What secrets does Miyako hold? What does she know about Harper? And what does Hades have to do with anything? You'll just have to wait and find out.

I do apologize for the wait! Between packing and moving and settling into a new house, and working random hours every week, plus actually trying to work on my original novels, I haven't had much time to work on my fanfiction. I'm resolving to do better this year in updating and working on both of my fanfics.

This story, I have decided, is going to have four separate arcs, of which this is only the first. Unlike my previous trilogy, however, I am going to be working on them in order. This is actually part one. I'm not starting the story on part two and going back to part one, like I did last time.

Until next time!

12/18/2012: Re-posted to fix plot alterations, mostly in details, again.


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets of the Golden Kingdom

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Four: Secrets from the Golden Kingdom

"So, did you recognize either of the girls?" The police officer demanded of Darien.

The raven-haired young man shook his head, trying to dislodge the strange sensation that he knew the officer questioning him. "No, I'm sorry, but I didn't."

Judging by the way he'd been sent over to question Darien with the other officer standing a little ways back, observing, this guy was obviously still a fairly new recruit to the force. But, he didn't have the attitude or the presence of a newbie. And Darien had dealt with a number of newbie cops back in Tokyo, after one of Beryl's attacks. This guy was a little bit taller than the other officers, but part of that was due to the fact that he seemed so much stiffer, seemed to hold himself straighter. The buzz cut didn't seem to suit the young officer, especially since it kept Darien from seeing what color it was, though his eyebrows were a very light blonde. Something was telling Darien it should be much longer, down to his shoulders, and almost icy white. Which didn't make sense, because the man looked like he might have some Arab in his ancestry, with his darker complexion.

"And you didn't see how the monster got in?" The officer continued, dark grey eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"No, afraid not." Again Darien shook his head. "Wish I could be of more help, Officer…"

"Lambert. Kyle Lambert," supplied the officer. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Shields."

He turned and walked over to join the rest of the officers, who were now getting ready to leave.

Slowly, Darien let out a sigh of relive. It was still strange, even after all the times he'd done it in Tokyo, to have to deal with the police after a monster attack. Though, this creature certainly hadn't been one of Beryl's youma. The two scouts had called it a Creature of the Void. And, why did the Garden of the Elements seem so familiar? Maybe it was something from the days of the Silver Millennium? Something from his previous life, with Serena?

Even as the officers were leaving, Darien could feel Officer Kyle Lambert watching him, as if he expected Darien to turn around and do something, to say something. But Darien just tried to keep a pleasant expression on his face, until after the last officer had driven away.

"Why did Officer Lambert have such an interest in you?" Owen demanded. "It's almost like he knows you were keeping things from him, like he knows you know more than you were saying."

Darien shrugged. "I don't know. But, there is something familiar about him."

"Well, you have met his little sisters, Cleo and Miyako. But, I don't think that explains much. Though, it might be because he's trying to prove himself. He did just join the force last year, but everyone knows he's one of the best, already," offered Harper. He clapped his hands. "Well, let's get this place cleaned up. I'm sure we're still going to have a few customers stopping by, after this."

He pretended to ignore the dark glare sent his way by the reincarnated prince of Earth.

* * *

><p>The clock on the wall chimed the hour, and Harper walked over to flip the lock on the main doors to the bookstore, the others already locked.<p>

"Enough stalling, Melanthios! Explain! Everything!" Darien snapped, his voice going icy cold. He'd had enough of Harper dodging his questions all afternoon.

Harper sighed. "The hard part is knowing exactly where to begin. Though, perhaps we may start by sitting down?"

"How about at the beginning?" Darien reluctantly took a chair.

Owen gave a slight chuckle, lifting one of the mugs of hot chocolate Noland had left, earlier, along with a handful of pastries. "Which beginning, your highness? There are several, you know. And there are just as many endings, some of which have yet to be written." Harper and Darien both glared at him, but the blind boy just chuckled some more. "I'm just saying."

Harper sighed. "Exactly what do you remember, your highness?"

"Just glimpse, disconnected pieces of my life. Except the last day. I remember that clearly," replied Darien, having been slightly thrown off by Harper calling him 'your highness.' Harper didn't use that title.

"So, does the Golden Kingdom mean anything to you?"

"Golden Kingdom?" Darien frowned at the table top. "That was home. My father ruled the Golden Kingdom of Terra, essentially the High King over all of Terra."

Owen nodded. "The Golden Kingdom was divided into five divisions. Four were ruled by selected warriors, chosen to defend the king. Anyone could become one of those four Shitennou, though tradition passed it down through families."

"And the fifth division?"

"Elysian, itself, under the direct rule of the Golden King," explained Harper. "At the time of Beryl's attack, you had a full complement of Shitennou, all six of the chosen warriors."

"But there were only five divisions to the kingdom." Darien's frown deepened.

Harper nodded. "Four came from the four, well we'll call them sub-kingdoms, if you will. The fifth Shitennou ruled over the Underworld, which isn't officially a part of any kingdom, much the same way Sailor Pluto served Queen Serenity, by ruling over Time."

"And the sixth?" Darien pressed, dark blue eyes narrowing.

"The sixth Shitennou only exists in times of great upheaval. He is the warrior of the shadows, to be the king's, or in your case prince's, personal bodyguard. The head of the Shitennou usually held that job, in addition to his other responsibilities, in times of peace. But, first and foremost, he was tasked with protecting all of the Golden Kingdom. Thus, when it became necessary, the sixth awakened to protect you."

"Both of you were members of my Shitennou."

"I am Heliotrope, Shitennou of the Soul, ruler of the Underworld," declared Harper, bowing as much as he could from his seated position. "Like Sailor Pluto, I exist outside of time. I will hold the position until I choose to pass it on, or until I am killed."

"And I am Onyx, Shitennou of the Shadow. By all rights, I should have perished along with the rest of the Golden Kingdom, and been reborn after you, to awaken to my powers when you needed me. Even all these centuries later, my survival is a mystery," explained Owen, his hand dropping to the head of his seeing eye dog. "Vista, as well, has survived the ages with me. For that, at least, I am grateful."

Darien nodded, slowly. "And the other Shitennou? Surely you know who they were? Or who they now are?"

"Kunzite, Shitennou of the Sword, from the Western Kingdom, Jadeite, Shitennou of the Spirit, from the Southern Kingdom, Zoisite, Shitennou of the Snow, from the Northern Kingdom, and Nephrite, Shitennou of the Stars, from the Eastern Kingdom."

"You called them Kunzite, Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite." The frown which had begun to disappear from Darien's face returned. "But the Dark Kingdom Generals are Malachite, Jedite, Zoycite, and Neflite."

Harper and Owen adopted frowns of their own.

"I don't understand," muttered Harper, puzzled.

"Operation: Decoy, your highness," came a slightly deeper, familiar voice.

All three heads turned as the new arrival entered from the kitchen. Officer Kyle Lambert stepped confidently towards the table. "Noland let me borrow his key."

Harper stood, placing himself between Darien and the police officer.

"You can relax, Heliotrope. I'm not here to harm anyone, especially not Prince Endymion." The cop gave a dry chuckle.

Darien rose to his own feet, placing a hand on Harper's shoulder. The older man relaxed, slightly, and he stepped back.

"Why are you here, Officer Lambert? And what was Operation: Decoy?"

The officer placed his fisted right hand over his heart and dropped to kneel on his left leg. The overhead light caught on the ring worn on his right hand. A golden dragon curled around a pink, diamond-shaped stone. Turning his head, Darien looked towards Harper, seeing a similar ring, a golden three-headed hellhound guarding a diamond-shaped green stone, flecked with red, a piece of heliotrope, a bloodstone. Owen stepped forward to join them, and Darien glanced down to see his ring. A golden, winged snake, a wyvern, coiled around a black, diamond-shaped piece of what he figured had to be onyx.

"Kunzite," whispered Darien.

A shiver passed through the room. As it passed, the room once more changed to that open field, the same one he'd seen after the attack, earlier. Harper and Owen were in their same uniforms, uniforms identical to the one now worn by Kyle Lambert, with one difference. The lining on his cloak was a darker greyish blue, not the black of Owen's or the white of Harper's.

Darien, himself, was dressed in the armor that marked him as Prince Endymion of Terra. No, he corrected himself, the Golden Kingdom.

Just as soon as he corrected himself, the room and its occupants returned to their previous state.

Kyle rose to his feet, looking Darien in the eye. "I don't doubt the two of them have no idea about Operation: Decoy. It was put in place before the two of them arrived at the court.

"You had a habit of sneaking out of the royal palace. Usually, one of the four of us would be able to follow you, and the other three would try to cover. However, we realized this couldn't work forever, especially as your father began giving you more responsibility, and we heard about the uprisings around the world."

"So, we found decoys," muttered Darien, "or, I should say, the four of you found decoys. You even found someone to play me. Then, all five of us were free to leave Elysian. But, to save confusion among ourselves, their names were different."

Kyle nodded. "That's how you ended up meeting Princess Serenity. You had both escaped from your royal duties and you met outside the borders of Elysian. I believe Jadeite and Zoisite had accompanied you, that day."

"But not you?"

"There were reasons. I was there the day Sailor Venus came to retrieve her princess, though."

An image flashed across Darien's mind, of Serenity standing with him, looking out over a crystalline lake. Kunzite hovered a few feet away, leaning against a tree, apparently not paying attention to the two of them, but he knew better. The icy haired Shitennou was ever watchful, ever wary. Then Sailor Venus appeared, glaring at Darien before she dragged Serenity away.

"I remember, Kunzite."

"I have a feeling your memories will be returning at a greater rate, now," stated Harper, "and probably with greater clarity, too."

Darien nodded. "I can only hope that is true." He turned and looked out the window, seeing the moon rise higher in the sky.

* * *

><p>Alright, there we go. Chapter Four of Elemental Secrets! Yes, it's a little short, but I wanted to focus more on Darien and my explanation of the Dark Kingdom Generals, though I'll come back to them later, to explain how they ended up serving Beryl and all of that.<p>

Okay, I know, no excuses, but real life has been pretty hectic. I changed jobs, started going back to school, and it feels like a hundred other things. I did spend all of November participating in NaNoWriMo, which I did manage to complete! I was so happy to see a final word count of 50,086! Even if the story itself isn't actually done yet.

To anyone who was hoping this would be my Harry Potter and the Secret Past update, I'm sorry. The next chapter there is giving me more trouble than any other chapter ever has before. I'm hoping you will stay patient with me as I try and untangle the knots in it. I do, however, have the next four chapters of Elemental Secrets written out, and I'm going to try and get them up soon. Hopefully while I have time over semester break.

As usual, I am going to ask for any comments and questions you want to give, though, if you'd rather wait and post them at the end of the next chapter, I understand, too! See you at the end of chapter five!


	5. Chapter 5: Water Takes the Stage

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Five: Water Takes the Stage

Isolde Marlow shifted her duffel bag and slowed her steps. There was no reason for her to hurry home. Her father was working the late shift at the factory, like usual. Zander wouldn't be calling until tomorrow morning. Stupid time difference in London! And her friends had all abandoned her. Cleo and Lia had both pleaded excessive homework. Miyako couldn't even be reached, at all, and it had really been Miyako who kept the four of them together. It was Miyako who said it didn't matter that Isolde had to go to the public high school, instead of Fire Rose Academy. It was Miyako who played peacemaker and kept Lia from killing Cleo or Isolde, when she got offended by something they had said. Miyako was the heart and soul of their friendship, and now she was pulling away.

Maybe Isolde being poor really did make a difference. Money really had been tight since her mom had died. Especially since her father refused help from his in-laws. The only exceptions were Isolde's dance lessons and the plane ticket that allowed Zander to accept that full ride scholarship to Oxford.

She sighed. She really did miss her older brother, even if she couldn't understand him half the time. Isolde understood dance, not the technical jargon Zander was always filled with. Still, if he were still in Terrarose, she wouldn't be walking home to an empty house. She'd still have someone to talk to, someone who'd listen to her. Zander had always been good at that, being there when she needed to talk. But, the long distance call would be too expensive, and she didn't have a cell phone or the internet access to e-mail him. Not unless she was at school or visiting one of her friends, and she didn't really feel comfortable typing out her e-mail around them.

Isolde forced her thoughts away from her dysfunctional family and her failing friendships. She tried to focus on the new movements and routines Madam Claire had demonstrated during class today. This would be her chance to push for the lead in the upcoming Winter Recital. If she got the part of Lady Swann, it would be that much easier to land the part of the Flower Princess for the Spring Festival. Isolde had dreamed of performing the Flower Princess since the first time her parents had taken her to see the ballet.

She turned the corner. Just three more blocks to an empty house.

Suddenly, a multi-colored blur flew across the street in front of her. The blur smacked into the brick wall of the local bank, allowing Isolde her first good look at the mysterious Sailor Element. The rainbow scout slid down the wall, to land on her booted feet. She wobbled, unsteadily.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

A violet beam of light shot from Sailor Element's hands, blasting into a creature that appeared to be made of marshmallows.

"Regal Star Magic!"

Another blast caught the monster off guard. It crumpled to the ground, before melting away.

An angry howl echoed down the street. A woman, with long white hair, fine as spun sugar, appeared behind Sailor Element, slamming into her hard enough to send the unprepared scout to the ground, after flying from the sidewalk and out into the middle of the street.

Isolde could hear the crunch of a broken bone from where she stood, frozen. A smug smile crossed the woman's face as she disappeared, leaving an over-powering sweet scent of sugar in the air.

Sailor Element grabbed her leg, which was bent awkwardly under her. A second sailor scout dropped down next to Sailor Element, and Isolde recognized her as the equally mysterious Sailor R.

Without warning, a rainbow of light wrapped around Sailor Element. When it faded, Isolde let out a strangled shriek. It was Miyako who lay, crumpled, in the middle of the empty street.

Miyako and Sailor R both turned at the sound. Miyako struggled to try and get to her feet, but her broken leg refused to cooperate.

The blonde girl's green eyes widened in shock. Without a word, she whirled and ran towards her house, no longer caring about the fact that it would be empty. Empty had suddenly become a good thing.

"Isolde!" Miyako's voice carried down the street, but Isolde didn't turn.

Miyako looked up at Sailor R. "I've got to go after her. Isolde's bound to be upset by this. I need to explain things to her."

"You're in no shape to do any such thing, Miyako," argued Sailor R. "Do you think Isolde will tell anyone?"

"No, not Isolde. But, I still need to talk to her." Miyako once again tried to stand.

Sailor R reached down and helped her, allowing the wounded girl to lean against the still transformed scout.

"It will have to wait until tomorrow. You need to get some rest so that leg can heal. By tomorrow, you should be fine to talk to Isolde. I doubt you could fight again for a couple of days, though."

"Sounds like you have experience, Sailor R."

"We all have our secrets, Miyako." The blonde scout shrugged.

Miyako muttered, "And you have more than anyone else I've ever met."

Reluctantly, Miyako leaned against Sailor R, directing her towards the two story house where she lived, only a block away from Isolde. Thankfully, Miyako's room was on the first floor, making it easier for the two of them to get Miyako into bed.

The raven haired girl was asleep, even before her head hit the pillow. Sailor R stared for a few moments, before easing herself back out the window. She envied Miyako the peace she could still feel while she slept.

It was excellent timing, too. The door to Miyako's room creaked open, even as Sailor R finished closing the window and dropping back out of sight. A tall man, dressed in the uniform of the Terrarose Police Department peered into the room. Sailor R couldn't see much else from his silhouette.

_Must be her older brother, Kyle_, thought Sailor R, creeping away from the house.

A few blocks away, she ducked into a downtown alley and let her own henshin fade. Usagi Moon emerged from the far end of the alley, before jogging towards her house.

* * *

><p>Isolde dropped her duffel bag onto the bench, spinning her combination lock with her free hand. She tried to clear her mind, to focus on her dance class. However, the image of Sailor Element, crumpled in the middle of the street, the image of her transforming into Miyako, kept playing in her head, the way it had all night. It wouldn't take long for the lack of sleep to catch up with her, if she didn't find a way to focus.<p>

Robotically, she hung up her jacket in the locker, placing her jeans in a neatly folded pile on the bottom of her locker. Her tennis shoes were tucked under her jeans. She barely noticed her fellow classmates entering the room as she laced up her practice toe shoes.

The images refused to fade as she entered the classroom, moving to the barre to warm up.

One by one, Madam Clare was calling the members of the class forward, to perform the part of Lady Swann in the first dance of the ballet. The rest of them performed the part of the chorus, the background dancers, for now.

"Mademoiselle Isolde," called Madam Claire, "you are not 'ere. Your 'ead, it iz not in ze dance. If you wish ze part of Lady Swann, you must prove eet."

Isolde nodded, taking a deep breath. She pulled the part of Lady Swann to the front of her mind. She attempted to focus on the steps, the emotions of the opening dance. Yet, every time she almost had it, Miyako's pain-filled face would return.

Finally, Madam Claire called for a break.

"Mademoiselle Isolde, you are one of ze finest dancers I 'ave in my classes," sighed the petite, French woman. "But, unless you can pull your 'ead out of ze clouds, you will not get ze lead. I know ze past year 'as been 'ard for you, with your muzzer's passing and your bruzzer moving to England. But, ze dance, it cannot show zees. You must focus."

"I understand, Madam Claire. I shall try harder."

"Zee that you do," commanded the ballet teacher.

Isolde turned towards the window at the back of the room. It had been placed there so parents could come and watch the practices, though she remembered it had frequently been Zander who had been watching and waiting for her to finish. But, on this side, it was one more mirror. Madam Claire didn't want her pupils distracted by their parents or whoever came to watch.

* * *

><p>Miyako stared through the glass, meeting Isolde's gaze. She wanted to reach out to her oldest friend, to tell her everything would be okay. She'd say anything, do anything at all to take the pain and sorrow out of Isolde's eyes again. Tears stung the corners of Miyako's eyes as she placed her hand on the glass.<p>

* * *

><p>Shaking her head, Isolde turned back to Madam Claire, and the rest of the ballet class. She stopped, mid-turn. It was back, that same smell from last night. That sickeningly sweet smell that reminded Isolde of too much sugar. It took her a few seconds to locate the source. There she was, the woman who looked like she was made of sugar. Even her skin had the white, grainy texture of a sugar sculpture.<p>

Behind her were two creatures. One resembled a giant gummy bear, though, instead of one solid color, it was mottled green, orange, red, yellow, and white. The other was more human-like, wearing an outfit that appeared to be made of small candies, like jellybeans and candy-coated chocolates. That one had long hair that resembled red and black licorice.

The sugar lady gave a wide smile, revealing a set of surprisingly pearly white, perfectly smooth, teeth. The two creatures behind her charged forward. The gummy bear picked up two of Isolde's classmates, absorbing them into its self. The candy-covered female drew back her hand, flinging a handful of small candies at the students, candies that exploded on contact, pulling energy away from the dancers and sending it back to the sugar lady. The gummy bear released its two victims, before grabbing two more.

Madam Claire threw herself between the creatures and the group of girls. "Run! Geet out!"

The girls didn't' hesitate to flee from the creatures, even as Madam Claire fell to a candy pellet attack.

Isolde flew to her teacher's side, trying to pull the smaller woman out of harm's way. However, a pellet blast sent the blonde ballerina flying into the water cooler at the back of the room. Her eyes drifted closed, and all she could hear was the steady dripping of water from the overturned, broken cooler.

* * *

><p>Miyako saw the creatures appear. She paused. According to Sailor R, her leg wouldn't be healed enough for her to fight for at least one more day. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the charm bracelet Sailor R had given her, earlier in the week, pressing the star-shaped charm between her thumb and her first two fingers.<p>

Then, she saw Isolde crash into the water cooler. That was it. Injured leg or not, she wasn't going to stand around while anyone else got hurt.

* * *

><p>Usagi felt the warm pulse from her henshin bracelet.<p>

"Miyako," she breathed.

She gave a longing look towards Melanthios Books and Coffee. She was dying to find out more about the guy who looked so much like Darien. But, her duty as a Sailor Senshi came first. Usagi turned and followed the tugging from her bracelet towards Firerose Dance School.

She entered the school, just in time to see Sailor Element rush in to fight with a giant gummy bear. Without a second's hesitation, she lifted her bracelet.

"Royal Star Magic!"

* * *

><p>Drip. Drip. Drip.<p>

The sound of falling water rippled through Isolde's mind. She could almost feel the tiny waves the drops created. Soon, the drops didn't just bring the waves and ripples. They brought images and sounds, too.

_She stood on a frozen wasteland, wrapped in a heavy, fur-lined coat. In front of her, a young man sat on the back of a large caribou, his features mostly obscured by his heavy hood and scarf._

"_It's not forever, Azura. I promise, I'll come back to visit," he vowed._

_Two pairs of green eyes met._

"_By the Great Northern Snows, Llyr? You'll come to visit?"_

_He nodded. "By the Great Northern Snows. Fare thee well, little sister."_

"_Fair fortunes in Elysian!" She gave a small smile._

_Her brother turned the caribou and hurried to catch up with the three other figures, waiting off in the distance._

_*8*_

_A figure, dressed in browns, greys, and greens, knelt beside her. The two of them sent magic flowing towards the town. The figure beside her reached out for the crops and the trees, while she, herself, worked on bringing water back to the people._

_She crouched in front of a figure, dressed in black and gold. A sphere of water surrounded them, keeping the raging fire from getting too close. Others stood around the black and gold figure, as well, trying to douse the flames enough to clear a path to safety._

_*8*_

_The black and gold figure stood before her, as she knelt._

"_You knelt before me as Azura Kendall, daughter of Ambassador Connell Kendall, of the Northern Kingdom. You knelt as a child of Terra's Golden Kingdom. Rise before me as Lady Azura of the Violet, the warrior, Sailor Water, a child of the Garden of the Elements, and a member of my guard. Stand beside me, and defend this world from the Anti-Elements."_

Isolde blinked slowly, her moss green eyes taking a few moments to readjust to the light. She rose to her feet, cautiously looking around. Sailor Element hung in the grip of the giant gummy bear, fighting as best she could. Sailor R darted around, dodging the explosive candies from the other creature. Isolde braced one hand on the ground, to help herself to stand. She paused, as he saw the raindrop-shaped, crystal pendant glittering in the water, the fine silver chain floating towards her hand.

Without thinking, she grasped the pendant and placed it around her neck.

"Soul of Water!"

Water, snow, ice and steam swirled around Isolde. She felt her hair drop out of the bun she pinned it into for ballet class, to fall into its usual ponytail. When the water fell away from her, she landed on her left foot, her right kicked up behind her, her arms outstretched.

"You're going to learn you don't mess with the agile, graceful power of water," she cried, lowering her right foot. "I am Sailor Water, of the Garden of the Elements!"

Sailor Water jumped into the air, letting her instincts take over.

"Aquatic Flood!"

Waves of water surrounded Sailor Water, reaching out to cover every inch of the room. The water disappeared as swiftly as it had appeared. Aside from the disappearance of the two monsters, the rest of the room was unaffected.

Sailor Water blinked in shock. "I did that?"

A whimper came from the corner. The sugary woman lay, crumpled on the floor, almost like she was disintegrating.

"Sweetling, your time of serving the Void and the Anti-Elements is at an end!" Sailor Element exclaimed, stumbling over.

Sailor R hurried over to the ebon-haired scout, helping her stay on her feet.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

The violet beam of energy shot from Sailor Element's outstretched hand. This time, however, a stream of blue, water-like energy wrapped itself around her attack.

Sweetling completely dissolved under the second attack.

Sailor Element gave a slight smile, before her henshin faded away, again.

"Miyako!" Sailor Water dashed across the room, reaching out to throw her arms around her friend.

"Liking the new look, Isolde," Miyako grinned at her. "Especially your boots."

The blue clade scout looked down. "Okay, who was the idiot who decided to put me in heels? Don't they know I don't have the coordination to pull them off?"

"Aren't you a dancer?" Sailor R demanded.

Moss green eyes met sapphire blue. "There's a difference between balancing on my toes and walking around in heels."

"You seemed to be doing just fine, earlier." Sailor R shrugged, sending her own blonde ponytail over her left shoulder. She turned back to Miyako. "You want some help getting back home? You should get off that leg. It'll just take longer to heal if you don't rest."

Miyako shook her head. "I can make it. It's not that far."

"Suit yourself, then. I'll see you around."

"At training tomorrow afternoon? I don't have to actually practice, but we can still discuss tactics and stuff."

Sailor R paused in the doorway. Then, she looked back and nodded. "Bring Isolde with you. We need to gauge her abilities."

With that, she strode out the door.

"So, who's Sailor R?" Isolde demanded, after her own henshin had faded away.

Miyako shrugged. "Don't know. She keeps to herself, pretty much."

"But she knows who we are?"

"I trust her, Isolde." She turned and stared Isolde in the eye. "I don't understand it, but , I know, with every inch of my heart, every inch of my soul, we can trust Sailor R."

Isolde smiled. "That's enough for me!"

* * *

><p>So, here we go! Chapter Five done and posted on the same day as Chapter Four! Wow! So, I'm finally getting back on track, here. Though, like I said last chapter, my Harry Potter fanfic is being difficult. I'm hoping, after Christmas, to sit down and get back to work on it, get myself to focus on it. The ending to that one is practically already written. I'm having no problems with the last three years. It's just Fourth Year that's giving me all the trouble! So, we'll see how that goes, eventually!<p>

I do apologize if anyone didn't like Madam Claire's French accent. I don't know how well it actually turned out, though I'm hoping it came out well enough. It's really only the second time I've tried writing anyone's accent. The other one being Hagrid, a few times, in my other fanfic. Let me know what you think!

10/29/13 Edit: Fixed one of the early paragraphs, concerning Isolde's roles in the ballets.

Again, I ask for questions and comments. I will beg for them! Please! Please! Please! Please!

Besides, I need your feedback to keep me inspired to keep going! So, again, I say, Please! Please! Please! Please!


	6. Chapter 6: Dreams and Nightmares

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

A/N: Usually don't put this at the beginning, but I figured the italics would get too overwhelming to try and read. So, everything between -888- and -888- is dream sequence. Just to let you know.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or even just Happy Winter Day, what every you'd like. Since I'm feeling generous, this is the first of three chapters I'm going to post today!

Chapter Six: Dreams and Nightmares

-888-

Everything around her seemed so solemn and quiet, even more so than she ever remembered the Moon Kingdom being. Almost every person in the Moon Kingdom marched in procession before her and Queen Selenity. Everything seemed taller, too, than she remembered, even her mother. Then, she realized, she was looking out the eyes of her childhood self, at the age, she guessed, of no more than six.

Directly in front of the carriage in which she rode with her mother, two great white horses pulled a cart, holding a crystal coffin. From her seated position, she couldn't see much, just the shadowy form resting within the crystal.

Whoever this person was, he or she had been very important within the Moon Kingdom.

Not too far away, two other carriages pulled small families, noble families of the Silver Millennium. On her mother's right was the orange and yellow carriage of Venus. A little, six-year-old girl with sunshine blonde hair, tied back with a red ribbon, stirred restlessly under her parents' hands.

It was the other carriage that held the young Moon Princess's attention. The tall man riding on her left seemed very familiar, though the stern expression seemed so out of place. She recognized the dark blue and yellow of the carriage as the colors of Uranus, defended by one of the Outer Senshi. The little girl with him looked miles away, her gaze on the distant stars. She was older than the Moon Princess, probably by at least a year or two. Her darker blonde hair was cut short. She could almost be mistaken for a boy, if it was for the flowing navy dress she wore.

For some reason, the young Moon Princess felt guilty about the short hair, as if it were her fault. For some reason, she thought it might have something to do with a sticky, glue-like substance.

Then, the older girl lowered her gaze and looked over at Serenity. She gave the young Moon Princess a sad smile, before turning her eyes back to the stars.

The procession came to a stop and the crystal coffin was set into a larger, stone crypt, and the lid slid over it, hiding the crystal coffin from sight.

No words were spoken. There were a few muffled sobs, but no one dared to speak. They all stood, staring at the tomb.

At last, Queen Selenity nodded, and the carriage moved away, followed by the others. Only Serenity was close enough to see the unshed tears shimmering in her mother's eyes.

* * *

><p>As happens in dreams, in the blink of an eye, she was fourteen again. She walked through the small cemetery, completely alone amongst the silent tombstones, most of which bore a crescent moon, in either white, palest lavender, or lightest pink. She'd given her Senshi the slip, but she'd chosen not to go to Terra. Not today. Instead, she swept through the graveyard to a large stone tomb. It bore no name. It was marked with a simple, five-pointed star. At each point was a different colored crystal. Starting with the clear crystal on the top, she moved her finger around the star, outlining it with a circle, touching a pale blue, a pale pink, a white, and a pale purple crystal. In the very center of the star, there was a silver crown, just a plain, silver crown with a jagged edge with nine points.<p>

Carefully, she boosted herself up to sit on top of the tomb, pulling her knees up to her chin. Lifting out her Star Locket, she set it next to her.

"See, I'm still taking very good care of it, just like I promised," she said, giving a small laugh. Looking up at Terra, she let out a sigh. "I wish you could have met Endymion. I'm sure you'd have liked him, very much. He's so sweet, and he's trying to get Terra allied with the Silver Millennium. He wants things to be better for his people. I'm really looking forward to Mother announcing our engagement, next month. She finally agreed, you know.

"Hopefully, I'll have finished my official training by then. I'm still not sure why I have to be able to become Sailor Moon. I mean, peace has reigned for so long. Yes, I know peace won't last forever, but my Senshi are more than able to protect me from anything. Besides, Mother says Sailor Moon only exists as a last resort, if nothing else can protect me. No Queen has had to become Sailor Moon in order to protect herself for centuries. Everyone considers her an ancient legend." She shivered in the brief breeze. "I know Luna's not going to be happy that I snuck out again, instead of finishing my history lessons. It's just so boring, sitting there, listening to her lecture. I loved listening to you tell me about the past. You always made it sound so interesting. I'd rather be able to actually train with my scouts, if I have to be Sailor Moon. Or go see Endymion, but he's attending that important conference in the Northern Kingdom of Terra. I really miss him."

Her finger started tracing designs on the cold stone. She bit her lip, nervously.

"I'm still not sure I'm going to be a good queen. I know Mother's considering stepping down, after Endymion and I get married. But I don't know if I'm ready, yet."

"Princess Serenity! There you are!" Sailor Venus exclaimed, running over to her. "Luna is frantic! Why do you have to keep running off on us?"

Serenity looked up at the head of her guard. "I just needed some time to myself, V. I wasn't going to stay out here long."

She scooped up her Star Locket, placing it back in her pocket. Gracefully, she hopped down from the tomb, brushing off her long white skirt.

"And so you came out to the graveyard? And you didn't tell anyone where you were going. You'll be lucky if Queen Selenity doesn't find out about this! The Outer Senshi are due to arrive in less than an hour remember?" The head of her personal guard continued, clenching and unclenching her fists.

The princess swept past her head Senshi and headed toward the palace, not looking back at the grave where she'd been sitting.

-888-

Usagi woke up, a slight smile on her face.

"That's certainly a pleasant change from reliving my death," she muttered, "even if the first part was a little sad."

She rose, hurrying over to her closet. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon. Perfect timing for an early morning jog before school. She froze, however, as a chill raced down her spine. Somewhere, something very dark was stirring. It didn't feel like Beryl, nor did it feel like those Anti-Elements, either. However, there was something familiar about it.

Quickly, Usagi shrugged it off. Whatever it was, she'd find out soon enough. Besides, it could always have been her imagination. It hadn't even felt like it was anywhere near Terrarose, more like it was very far away.

* * *

><p>-888-<p>

Miyako strolled through a huge garden. From where she stood, she couldn't see its edge. All around her grew a riot of flowers. Roses, tulips, violets, hawthorn, gladiolus, everywhere she looked, more flowers than she could even name. She figured she must be somewhere near the garden's center, especially when she stumbled upon the tower. It wasn't a very tall tower, no more than four floors, with the top floor almost completely open to the fresh air.

Cautiously, Miyako reached out and pushed open the door, entering a narrow hall. It took no time at all until she was emerging from it to see a spiral staircase rising up from the center of the stone floor. The staircase didn't have a railing to prevent someone falling, nor did there appear to be a central column to support the stairs.

Looking around the first floor, Miyako saw four doors, equally spaced around the room. She approached the first door. Carved into the door was something that resembled a rock, as well as what she figured was a pile of dirt. Hanging from the doorknob was a small ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life, and several sprigs of holly. Shaking her head, she moved on to the next door. Something in this tower was calling her, and she would find it.

The next door had a raindrop, a snowflake, and something that resembled a cloud. Its doorknob had a familiar raindrop-shaped pendant and a small bouquet of violets. Touching the knob, briefly, she caught a glimpse of Isolde, dressed in an unfamiliar blue coat, with a high collar.

Miyako bypassed the other two doors, without even really looking at them. What she wanted wasn't down here, she realized, before she climbed the stairs. The next floor had four more doors, only three of which had markings on them. She paused at one of the marked doors. A black pocket watch hung from the doorknob, while the infinity symbol was carved into the door. Several stems of gladiolus had been placed to rest beside the pocket watch. Still, this wasn't the door she was looking for.

So, she moved on up to the next floor. Above her, she could hear the wind whistle through the opening on the top floor. Looking up the stairs, she could tell that the opening wasn't intentional. Something had destroyed most of the top floor, but, from the looks of it, it had been a long time ago. Thus, she decided, what she was searching for wasn't up there.

The third floor, however, held only one door. A bouquet of violet roses hung from the doorknob, tied together with a dark purple and gold ribbon. A small disc, similar to her henshin brooch, dangled from the knot in the ribbon. Carved into the door was a key, resting inside a crown. Here, this door held what she was looking for. This room held her answers.

Before her hand could reach the knob, a massive wave of energy pushed her back, putting itself between her and the door. She frowned, trying to push her way through.

The door and tower faded away in a blast of white light. When the light faded, she stood on the remains of a battlefield. The earth was scorched, and she could see bodies lying on the ground around her. On the other side of the field, stood a figure in white armor, his hair covered by his white helmet.

Two figures stood between her and him, and she couldn't make out much about the pair from where she stood. She knew that one was a girl, with golden blonde hair, dressed in a red and pink sailor fuku, like the ones she and Isolde wore, and that the other was a young man in black armor, with tawny hair whipping in the wind. She saw the white armored figure raise and hand, and the red clad girl crumpled under the attack he sent. The black warrior leapt forward, pulling out an enormous broadsword, engaging the white-armored figure. The two of them were quickly locked in combat, black and white, back and forth. Miyako was frozen in place, unable to do anything but watch. She could tell the black warrior was exhausted, on the verge of collapsing, while his opponent showed no signs of weariness.

Suddenly, the black warrior dropped to the ground, his opponent raising his own sword against him.

"NO!"

-888-

Miyako woke, screaming. She stared at the bare walls of her room, fighting to regain her breath.

Her door slammed open, two people running through it. Cleo instantly dropped down beside Miyako. She pulled the ebon-haired girl into a tight hug. Kyle, meanwhile, gave the room a quick scan, before he settled down by Miyako's feet.

"Nightmare, Miyako?" Kyle asked, his dark grey eyes narrowed in concern.

She took a steadying breath, nodding. "Yeah."

"The car accident again?" Cleo asked.

Slowly, Miyako nodded, again. "Yeah. Just the usual. It just caught me. It's been a while, after all."

Cleo tightened her hug. Kyle, however, noticed that Miyako didn't meet his eyes. Every time the car crash nightmare reappeared, she'd seek out Kyle, looking for reassurance, looking for a hug from him, a hug she'd always told him made her feel safer. But, not this time. She was lying. He knew she was lying. The only time she wouldn't meet his eyes while talking was when she was lying. But, with Cleo there, he didn't press. Not now. He'd get answers later.

* * *

><p>-888-<p>

He stumbled through the ruins. Everything once familiar was cast into a foreign light. Nothing at all was where it should be. No one was around, the halls of Elysian's Royal Palace silent. The palace was never silent. No matter where he went, there was always noise.

Then, he found them. Servants lay atop other servants. A nanny sheltered two young children. Every last one of them, frozen where they stood. Even nobles were trapped, unseeing, unfeeling, living statues. At least, he hoped they were still alive. Alive meant hope for salvation. Dead meant nothing but despair.

Carefully, he navigated his way to the once grand doors to the throne room. The enormous gold doors one stood, like sun-colored sentinels, guarding the king and the Royal Court. Now, the left door had completely fallen to the ground, and the right hung precariously on one giant hinge.

Inside, there were only two bodies, which surprised him. Then, he realized, the others either fled or joined Beryl's ranks. Unfortunately, he leaned towards the latter option. The court made no secret of their disapproval of Prince Endymion's engagement to Princess Serenity.

But, where was Endymion? Where were the other Shitennou? Surely they would not have joined Beryl, and they would have died, rather than become her prisoners.

He stumbled over to the body of King Endymion Terrance. He, himself, might never have approved of all of the king's ideas, but Endymion Terrance always sought to put Terra's well-being first. Well, except for those few years no one talked about.

Nearby lay the last of the king's own Shitennou, the king's own brother-in-law, the former Hellhound General, Alexander Rosarius.

He dropped down between the two of them. Unlike the servants and nobles in the halls, there was no doubt. The two of them were dead. One trembling hand reached out, closing first the king's eyes, and then his Shitennou's.

Stumbling footsteps called his attention. A young boy stumbled into the throne room, his arm pressed against a wound in his side. Blood stained the once white robes of Elysian's priest. Snow white hair fell into this eyes, framing a horn of golden crystal. The boy staggered towards him, one of Beryl's youma behind him.

He rose, leaving the king and his brother-in-law behind. Power swirled in, around, and through him, before blasting out in all directions, not caring who it touched.

-888-

He awoke, staring into the darkness. What had he done? How could he have been so foolishly reckless?

* * *

><p>So, I'll ask you to give me a guesses on the answers to these questions. Whose grave was Serenity visiting? Who were the people in Miyako's dream? Whose dream was the last one? Anybody at all want to take a guess?<p>

I'd appreciate any comments, questions, anything at all like that. I'd love to be able to actually post something down here with answers to questions. Questions and comments tell me if I need to fix anything, or if I'm doing alright. So, please, can you tell me?


	7. Chapter 7: Surprising Conversations

Before I start, in case you missed it, chapters 6, 7, and 8 were all uploaded at the same time. Go back if you need to, please!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Seven: Surprising Conversations

"Off duty, Kyle?" Darien stepped out of the back door at Melanthios.

Kyle nodded. "Yeah. I remembered that, as your guard, we always had to be out for a morning run. You always insisted on joining us. Figured you might have kept up the habit."

"So that's where it comes from," laughed Darien. "But that isn't why you're here, Kunzite."

The taller man shrugged. "We can talk as we jog."

However, Kyle didn't speak again until they were several blocks from the bookstore and café. Darien didn't press, though. Unlike with Harper, he knew Kyle would get to what was bothering him when he was ready. Glancing over, he realized his companion's hair was already beginning to regrow. What had, just two days ago, been a buzz cut, was now almost half an inch long.

"You ever get the feeling someone's purposely keeping things from you? They've trusted you almost all their lives and, now, they're keeping secrets?" Kyle finally asked.

"I haven't had anything quite like that," answered Darien. "At least, not in this life. I'm usually the one keeping all the secrets. Why?"

"My little sister, Miyako. My parents adopted her when she was pretty little. She still has a few memories of her birth family, but not a lot. Anyway, she's never kept a secret from me. Ever. From our parents, yeah, but never from me, and never from Cleo. Now, now I know she is."

Darien frowned. "Miyako. Black hair, blue eyes, plays volleyball at Firerose Academy, volunteers at the public library?"

"Yes," answered Kyle, slowly, staring oddly at his prince.

"I hang out at Melanthios, helping Harper whenever he'll let me, and listening to Owen, who seems to know everyone," he reminded his reincarnated general. "I've met both Miyako and Cleo several times. But, yeah, I've noticed things. She used to sit with Cleo and Lia all the time. Lately, they've been coming in without her. She says she's busy with volunteer work, but I can tell Cleo and Lia aren't buying it. She seems tired a lot, lately, too."

"They only let her work so many hours at the library, and I don't think she's volunteering anywhere else. She would have said something, or someone else would have mentioned something to me."

"It could just be a form of rebellion," muttered Darien, reluctantly, "but, in all honesty, her behavior reminds me of something else."

Kyle lifted one eyebrow.

Darien sighed. He'd briefly explained how he ended up in Terrarose, and several months in his own past, to the older man yesterday, when he'd stopped back into Melanthios. He'd even explained how he was fighting alongside the Sailor Senshi, omitting the fact that Sailor Moon _was_ Princess Serenity, however. As much as he trusted his former general, he didn't feel it was his place to reveal that little bit of information. Nor did he tell him the civilian identities of the scouts in this lifetime.

"Miyako's behavior reminds me a lot of how Serenity's scouts acted, especially Sailor Moon, just after she started fighting Beryl," he explained.

"You think Miyako could be one of the Senshi here in Terrarose?" Kyle frowned.

"It's possible, Kyle. It really is. But, I haven't been here long enough to know anyone that well, and I've only run into two of the Senshi once, the day we met. It took me forever to discover the civilian identities of the Senshi in Tokyo, and I was fighting alongside Sailor Moon since her first battle."

Kyle hung his head, trying to wrap his mind around the idea that his little sister could be one of the Senshi of Terrarose. Darien didn't speak, knowing how hard that would be to take in.

"Well, Miyako and Cleo have a volleyball game tomorrow night," stated the older man, changing the subject. "You want to come and watch? It'd give you a break from Harper and Owen."

"You feel their keeping secrets, too?" Darien laughed.

"Heliotrope and Onyx always kept secrets from the rest of us. Jadeite used to call them the Shitennou of Secrets."

Darien's smile broadened. "Sounds about right."

* * *

><p>The after school group came pouring into Melanthios Books and Café. From his spot, shelving the new shipment of history books, Darien kept an eye out for Miyako. After his discussion with Kyle, he wanted to find some proof about his theory.<p>

Cleo and Lia had snagged their usual table, nearest to the display of Noland Baker's cheesecakes and coffee cakes. Miyako had snuck in, hiding herself in the back corner, the perfect place to watch the café without being seen, unless, of course, you were standing at the history shelves.

Isolde came darting in, moving to join Miyako at the back table. Darien had to admit, he didn't remember seeing Isolde come in when it wasn't her shift. Once again, he was struck by the similarity to things in Tokyo, when Amy joined Serena at the Crown. Still, it wasn't definitive proof.

The café door opened again, just as Darien put away the last of the books. He looked up to see the blonde girl from the other morning walk into the café. She clutched a slim binder as she moved to the counter, ordering one of Harper's lattes. It didn't surprise him to see her wearing the maroon and golden-brown uniform of Terrarose's private school, Firerose Academy. After all, most of Harper's customers seemed to be from the private school, rather than the public high school. She headed over to another of the tucked away, smaller tables.

Maybe now he could get some answers. He didn't see Owen anywhere, so Darien moved over to where Harper stood at the counter.

"Hey, Harper, who's the new blonde?" Darien asked.

Harper shrugged. "She doesn't stop in that often. Pretty quiet and keeps to herself. Haven't gotten her name yet."

Just as he finished talking, Cleo Lambert strode up to the counter. "Harper, can I get another Vanilla Crème?"

"Sure thing," Harper replied, before he shot a quick grin at Darien. "Cleo, do you know the blonde over there?" He motioned towards the small table. "She's wearing a Firerose Academy uniform, hair in a bun, with a ponytail?"

"Her?" Cleo nodded towards the blonde. "That's Usagi Moon. She transferred down here from some big city. New York, maybe? Something like that, anyway. She's top of the class, keeps to herself, excellent volleyball player. Why do you want to know?"

Harper gave a mock glare at her, before turning back to making her cappuccino. "I like to know a little about my customers. You know that, Cleo."

"Not you, Harper. You're friend, here. He's the one staring at Usagi."

"She reminds me of someone I used to know," Darien answered. "That, and she seems so sad and alone."

"I don't know much. Like I said, she keeps to herself. No parents, that's for sure. She lives with a cousin, but hardly anybody ever sees her. I want to say her cousin's name is Trisha Mayo, or something like that."

Harper's head snapped around. "Trista Meioh?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Cleo grinned. "Figures you've heard of her, Harper."

Darien waited until the girl had walked off with her cappuccino before he turned back to Harper. "So, who's Trista Meioh?"

"She's someone I knew in another lifetime," sighed Harper, a distant look in his crimson eyes.

"So, what's she doing in Terrarose?" Darien hoped for any information that might tell him why this Usagi Moon reminded him so much of Serena.

"Look, Darien, it might not even be the same Trista Meioh, alright?" Crimson eyes snapped back to Darien, darkening as he spoke.

That look, unfortunately, meant he wouldn't be getting any more information out of Harper. At least, not about Trista Meioh. Darien walked away from the counter, grabbing a mug of black coffee as he left. He walked over to the table where Usagi had flipped open her binder, and was scribbling on the open page. However, he couldn't read anything she had written. It looked like another language, a language that he found familiar, but not one he really knew.

"Mind if I join you?" Darien asked, grabbing the back of the chair opposite her.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes going wide. "I…I guess."

"So, you're Usagi Moon? Cleo mentioned it. I'm friends with her older brother," he explained. "I'm Darien Shields."

The pencil dropped out of her hand, and her face paled. She slowly extended her hand. "That's right. My name's Usagi Moon. So, why did you come over here?"

* * *

><p>She couldn't believe it. His name was Darien Shields. That couldn't be coincidence. Somehow, Darien had ended up in Terrarose. Though, the question was, how? And did he recognize her? Was he here, working for Beryl?<p>

"You remind me of someone I used to know," she heard him say.

"Well, I just moved here, so…" She tried to gage his reactions. Maybe it really was just coincidence, after all. But, he said she reminded him of someone!

"From where?"

"You wouldn't have heard of it," she answered, " the Juuban district of Tokyo."

"Actually, I have heard of it. Small world. I used to live there, too. Actually, it was the Azubu district, which is right next to Juuban, but I know the area. The Crown Arcade's one of the best places to hang out. Do you know it?"

She could feel the blood draining from her face. Her hand actually shook as she slowly closed her binder, not that anyone around here could read it, anyway. Her Darien had lived in Azubu. "Yeah, I used to go there, all the time."

Suddenly, she heard the five note jingle of her ringtone. She whipped the cellphone out of the side pocket of her brown leather book bag.

"Hey, Trista," she said, as she flipped open the phone. After all, Trista was the only one who had her phone number.

* * *

><p>Darien kept one ear on the conversation as he looked over towards the corner where Miyako and Isolde were hiding.<p>

"Sorry, Darien. I have to go. My cousin's on her way back from work, and I promised I'd have supper ready," said Usagi, as she got to her feet.

He turned back to her, giving her a slight smile. "No problem. Hey, you go running through Rosefeld Park every morning, right? I've seen you."

"Yeah, it's good to get in a run before school," she replied.

"If you ever want a running partner, let me know. Kyle Lambert and I usually go out every morning, too. I've learned it helps keep you motivated, knowing you've got somebody running with you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Usagi hurried away from the table.

She was out the door before Darien could say anything else. He rose, planning on going back to shelving more books. Then, he saw it. It must have fallen out of her book bag when she pulled out her phone. His hand shook as he picked up the Star Locket. _Serena's_ Star Locket, the one she had given him during the Silver Millennium, the one he had given back to her in this life. How did Usagi Moon end up with it? Unfortunately, he'd have to wait until the next time he saw her to ask.

* * *

><p>Yes, I know Kunzite seems a little OOC, but for right now, I need him to be a little OOC.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8: Earth Plays Ball

Before I start, in case you missed it, chapters 6, 7, and 8 were uploaded at the same time. Go back if you need to, please!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Eight: Earth Plays Ball

"So, volley ball game tonight, and the Melanthios Halloween party next week," cheered Lia, as they walked out of Firerose Academy. "You're both coming, right?"

Cleo nodded. "Absolutely! Kyle promised he'd be there, too. He's got the night off, but, you know the Terrarose PD. He'll be on call, all night, if they need him."

"You'll be there, too, right, Miyako?" Lia pressed, turning to the quiet, raven haired girl when she didn't automatically answer.

"Definitely," agreed Miyako. Turning, she caught sight of Usagi, hurrying by. "Hey, Usagi! Melanthios is hosting a Halloween party, next week. Costumes, masks, the works. You want to come?"

"Sorry, I can't. I've already got plans with my cousin, all next week," apologized the blonde.

"Maybe another time," offered Cleo. "There's the Snowflake Festival, during December. It actually runs all month, so, we might see you there?"

"Maybe." Usagi smiled and waved. "See you at the game, tonight, for sure!"

She hurried off, her ponytail bouncing. Miyako and Cleo waved to Lia, at the end of the block, where they parted ways.

"So, what are you wearing to the costume party, anyway?" Cleo demanded. "You've been so secretive about it."

Miyako laughed. "You'll just have to wait and see, next week. Come on, we've got to get ready for tonight's game."

* * *

><p>As usual, Usagi hurried past Melanthios Books and Café on her way back to the apartment she "shared" with Trista. The store was now completely covered in Halloween decorations. Even the yard next to it had been converted into a cemetery. She was sure, next Friday night, it would be the perfect place for the Halloween party. She'd lied, earlier. Trista was only stopping by, briefly, to see the game tonight, and then she was heading back to the Time Gate. But, Usagi, as Sailor R, had told Isolde and Miyako she'd be there, in a costume matching theirs. It was the closest she was going to get to letting them see her in her civilian identity. Still, she wasn't very excited about going. After all, how long would it take before someone here turned against her? And she knew Darien would be there. But she wasn't sure she could handle seeing him again, either. Not when she didn't know how he could be here.<p>

She sighed as she pushed open the apartment door, kicking off her brown loafer, just inside the door. Her bag got dropped next to the dining table they never used. Since it was usually just her, she'd eat at the small table in the kitchen, and Trista joined her there. Instead, she used the dining table to do all of her homework.

Bypassing the small living room, with its dark, garnet furniture, she opened the door to her room. Trista had insisted she take the larger room, since she was the one who was always home. Inside, the furnishings were still fairly sparse. She hadn't wanted a lot of stuff cluttering up her room, not like it had, back in Tokyo. Though, the bed in the corner, with its white, lacy canopy, reminded her a lot of the bed she'd had, back on the Moon, especially with all its silver and pink accents. The tiny pink rosebuds spread over the white comforter, the silver moons and stars carved into the white frame.

Walking over to the closet, she dropped her school uniform, the golden brown and maroon plaid skirt and the long-sleeved, white button-up shirt, into her hamper, changing it for a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt, with a white t-shirt with a black cat layered over the top of that. Only then did she reach up and unpin her hair. The blonde waves tumbled all the way to the floor, far longer than it looked when she managed to pull it up. Still, after a while, the single bun, with its shorter ponytail, began to give her a headache.

"How was school, today, Princess?" Trista asked, stepping through the portal between the Time Gate and the apartment.

Serena shrugged. "It wasn't too bad. We've got the volleyball game tonight, so a few teachers went easier on us, knowing we won't necessarily have time to get it done before tomorrow."

"And are you ready for the game, tonight?"

"Hopefully. Playing volleyball is a piece of cake, next to fighting youma and those Anti-Elements creatures." She grimaced. "Hey, have you ever heard of the Garden of the Elements?"

Trista frowned. "The Garden of the Elements? I think I heard of it, once, in passing. It was supposed to be some ancient myth, from before I took the post of Sailor Pluto. Why do you ask?"

"Both of my new allies have mentioned it, now," replied Serena, twisting her hair back up into its familiar two buns with ponytails.

She stepped over, into the kitchen, and started preparing everything for supper, pulling out the lasagna she'd prepared the night before.

"I wish I knew more about it," stated Trista, sitting down at the table.

"Well, do you remember who told you about it?"

"One of Endymion's guards, the one called Heliotrope."

"Heliotrope? I don't remember Endymion's guards that well. Probably a reason for that," remarked Serena. "Which one was Heliotrope?"

"The one who was also his older cousin, the one with that pet hellhound," replied Trista.

The blonde girl nodded. "I think I remember him now. Tall, silent, had a tendency to blend into the background, you could forget he was even there. Though, if you got him mad, he had a very terrifying presence."

"Yes, that was Heliotrope." Trista smiled, sadly.

The Moon Princess turned to her guardian, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "You liked him, didn't you? You liked Heliotrope."

A slight blush colored Trista's cheeks.

"You did!" Serena squealed, running over and grabbing Trista's hands. "How did I not know about this?"

Trista sighed, pulling one hand away from her princess, reaching up to toy with a few strands of her dark green hair. "Because he never felt the same way about me. He never liked me, not that way. So, I didn't say anything to you."

"Did he tell you he didn't like you?"

"No, but he never acted like he noticed me. He never watched me, or anything at all like that," mumbled the Time Guardian.

"Maybe he didn't know how to express himself," replied Serena, before her eyes widened. "Look at me. I'm sounding like Minako!"

"Well, your cousin was the Princess of Venus, and a right little matchmaker," laughed Trista.

Serena started, laughing, too.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe the two of you wanted to come to the volleyball game," stated Darien, looking over at Harper and Owen.<p>

Harper sighed. "I try to make at least one game a season. Besides, I needed the break before next week's big party."

"Where he'll be dressed as the Grim Reaper, again," observed Owen. "It's as much tradition as the party."

"Darien! Harper, Owen!" Kyle called, waving from his seat in the bleachers.

The three made their way over to join the off-duty officer. Feeling a pair of eyes watching them, Darien turned. A short ways off, a few rows above them, he spotted an unusual woman watching them. Garnet eyes widened in surprise. Though, the dark green hair and olive complexion were just as striking.

"Alright, so who's the lady with the dark green hair?" Darien asked, keeping his gaze locked on her.

Kyle shrugged. "I've never seen her before."

Slowly, Darien turned towards Harper. The older man had gone dead white, unable to pull his crimson eyes away from her garnet gaze. His hands had tightened into fists, gripping the railing in the bleacher's aisle as if it were all that was holding him up.

"It's her," whispered Owen, his voice filled with wonder. "It is, isn't it? It's Setsuna."

Harper gave a single, sharp nod.

"Setsuna?" Kyle asked, lifting one nearly white eyebrow.

"Not here," replied Owen, softly enough that his brother didn't seem to hear him. "After the game."

Darien nodded, though the name sounded familiar to him.

* * *

><p>Usagi wiped her face with her towel. Firerose Academy had fought to win the first set. Now, they were going to have to do it, again. Or so everyone thought. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Something was coming. Something dark was coming. Another of those Anti-Elements, she was sure of it. Then again, it had been almost two weeks since they had taken out Sweetling, though there'd been several low level monsters still running around.<p>

She glanced at Miyako, who'd gone pale. Not ghostly pale, but she'd definitely lost a little color in her face. Before she could say anything, though, the monster appeared.

Immediately, Usagi was struck by its resemblance to a ventriloquist's doll. It lunged for the opposing volleyball team, first. The blue and white clad girls instantly fell to the ground. Slowly, the rest of the crowd and her fellow volleyball team members began falling, too. She could see Trista struggling to stay awake, reaching for her henshin wand. Then, Usagi looked around and saw Darien, with Harper Melanthios, his little brother Owen, and a man she didn't recognize, all four of them fighting the energy drain, too.

* * *

><p>Darien saw the monster materialize out of thin air. Automatically, his hand dropped to the rose, again. He saw Kyle reaching for his ring, pulling it out of his pocket. A flash of gold told him Owen and Harper already had theirs on. But, there was no way to transform. Too many people were still awake, would remember the three Shitennou donning their Golden Kingdom uniforms. And his rose was still contaminated.<p>

Looking back over his shoulder, he saw the woman Owen had identified as Setsuna pull a lavender rod out of her own pocket, a rod the same size as the ones the girls carried, back in Tokyo.

A motion on the court caught his eye. Usagi Moon, the girl he was starting to believe might really be Serena, was ducking behind the closest set of bleachers. A flash of silver light showed something in her hands as she vanished. Of the players on the court, only Miyako and Cleo seemed to still be standing, and Cleo looked like she was fading fast.

As the light from her henshin faded, Sailor R leapt back out onto the court.

"Regal Star Magic!"

She sent the doll monster stumbling back a few steps, as she hurried over to Miyako.

"Get behind the bleachers and transform," she hissed to the raven-haired girl.

Miyako gave a barely perceptible nod. "Isolde's not here. It's just us."

Sailor R nodded. She knew, if enough people passed out, Trista would henshin and help out. That was, provided she didn't get drained first.

A few moments later, Sailor Element was back, sending her own attack at the monster. However, the water streak that had appeared after Isolde's first henshin had vanished. But, then, the two of them hadn't fought without Isolde since she transformed, Sailor R realized. Which meant that Sailor Element's fellow warriors from the Garden of the Elements increased her power, so long as they were with her. It also meant Sailor Element's attack wasn't as strong as it was, before, either. And that didn't bode well for them, as the monster seemed no more phased than it had been by Sailor R's attack.

"Two little scouts, all alone,

Pity the third hasn't shown."

Both scouts looked up. Standing on top of the scoreboard was another of the generals of the Anti-Elements. She had to be. She looked human enough, unlike Sweetling. But, from the belt of her brown jumpsuit hung several puppets. She even had a hand puppet covering her left hand.

"You may have taken Sweetling by surprise, it's true,

But Poppet won't be so easy, I'm telling you."

"Really?" Sailor Element demanded. "What's with the rhyming and the puppets?"

Sailor R nodded. "That's going to get annoying fast. Scratch that. It's already annoying."

* * *

><p>Cleo was fighting to stay awake, one of the few who could. She was vaguely aware of the arrival of Sailors R and Element. She just wanted to get away from the monster. Slowly, she crawled away, barely having the strength to do anything else. Her pale blonde hair obscured her vision, and she just about ran into her team's bench. Her hand reached out and touched a piece of cold metal that warmed, almost instantly, under her hand.<p>

Pulling it over, she recognized the ankh pendant Kyle had bought, when he'd been in Egypt, just over a year ago, before their parents had died.

It seemed almost to sparkle, holding her attention. Carefully, she lifted it, letting it spin in front of her.

_She stood in a sand filled desert, looking towards a city of white marble. A pair of sand-colored, Arabian stallions snorted behind her._

"_Horus, do you really think it's worth it? Giving up a peaceful life in the country?" She asked._

_A young man, dressed in simple, ancient Egyptian garb, who resembled Kyle walked forward, though his hair, almost white, hung to his bare shoulders. "You mean Father taking the job as the Pharaoh's Grand Vizier? I don't know, Ishtar. I really don't know."_

_-8-  
><em>

_Ishtar galloped across the sand dunes, her face pressed close into the Arabian's light brown mane. She fled the marble city and her father's sudden announcement. Sand flew around her as she realized a sandstorm was coming up behind her. She threw up her arms, and the dunes around her rose to form a cave, to shield her and her horse from the storm._

_-8-  
><em>

_The fire was moving closer, now. She could see the water bubble around them, wavering as the fire pressed closer. Reaching out, she found the earth beneath them, rock hard and solid. Holding out her hands, she lifted part of the earth, flipping it over onto the flames, extinguishing a small section, but the fire soon moved back in._

_-8-  
><em>

_She knelt before a young woman, in a long black gown with flowing gold sleeves._

"_You knelt before me as Ishtar, daughter of the Grand Vizier Set of the Western Kingdom. You knelt as a child of Terra's Golden Kingdom. Rise before me now as Lady Ishtar of the Holly, the warrior Sailor Earth, a child of the Garden of the Elements, and a member of my guard. Stand beside me and defend this world."_

_Slowly, she rose, taking her place at the left hand of the black and gold clad figure._

"Sailor Earth," breathed Cleo, "and the Garden of the Elements."

She clutched the ankh pendant tightly in her hand, before she leapt to her feet, now filled with energy.

"Soul of Earth!"

A dust cloud rose around her, turning her maroon and golden brown volleyball uniform into a green version of Sailor Element's fuku. Her hair fell out of the ponytail she pulled it into during the game, to fall around her shoulders, turning a light silver, instead of a pale blonde.

She landed back on the court, her feet spread apart, her hands on her hips.

"Now you learn not to mess with Earth!" Sailor Earth exclaimed. "This won't happen on my watch! In the name of the Garden of the Elements!"

She lifted her hands into the air, the same way she would when she served a volleyball.

"Fossilizing Cage!"

A ball of mud and stones formed above her left hand, and she served it, sending it flying towards the monster. As it got closer, the ball burst apart, forming a net of mud and rocks. As it dropped over the monster, it froze in place.

Nodding, Sailor Element stretched out her hand, palm facing the monster.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

Now, a streak of green energy, filled with rocks and sand, spiraled around the multi-colored scout's violet attack. The monster collapsed, as the attack shot through it.

"With my puppet you may have had fun,

But your battle with Poppet is far from done!"

Poppet spouted off another couplet, before she vanished.

After she had left, Sailor Element let her henshin fade with a squeal. She ran over and threw her arms around a startled Cleo, whose own transformation had already faded.

"Don't get too comfortable. You still can't completely trust your friends," said Sailor R, with a growl. "Sooner or later, someone will betray you."

She turned and disappeared into the awakening crowd of people.

* * *

><p>Naturally, the rest of the volleyball game was canceled, and people began hurrying out of the gym. Harper quickly vanished, though to where, Darien had no idea. Kyle led them over to his car, a dark grey, beat-up, old clunker of a car.<p>

"Alright, so then, who's Setsuna?" Kyle demanded, looking down at Owen. "You promised, after the game, little Shitennou of Secrets."

Owen nodded. "That was her name during the Silver Millennium. But, she was better known by her title. She's Sailor Pluto, guardian of the Time Gate."

"Sailor Pluto?" Darien frowned.

"That's right. Over the centuries, we've occasionally run into her, though I don't know if she always recognizes us. One of her favorite aliases is Trista Meioh."

Darien's eyes widened. "Trista Meioh? Like Usagi Moon's cousin?"

Kyle turned and stared at the dark haired reincarnated prince. Owen nodded, clutching his white cane.

Suddenly, things seemed to make a lot more sense to Darien. Especially concerning the mysterious Usagi Moon. Now, he just had to corner her and confirm his new suspicions.

* * *

><p>Chapter eight done! Hooray! Now, it's on to chapter nine, and the Melanthios Books and Café Annual Halloween Party! I'm hoping I might be able to get this story completely figured out before the end of the year, if everything goes well. I'm not sure exactly how many chapters this is going to be, but we'll soon find out! I have Chapter Nine handwritten, so I'll work on typing that up this week, and I'm working out the next two chapters, though I know there will be more after that. I should have a better idea by the time I post chapter nine! See you then!<p>

Oh, just out of curiosity, what do you think of the new cover image I added to this story?


	9. Chapter 9: Halloween Mayhem

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in my other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, being to the West of Elysian, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Nine: Halloween Mayhem

She crouched on the roof of the public library, surprised by how invisible she was, even though she wore vibrant red. There again, people never _did_ look up. She'd been watching the scouts for weeks, now, since before Sailor Water had joined the group. She knew who Sailors Element, Water, and Earth were, who their civilian identities were. But Sailor R, on the other hand, was still a complete mystery. She'd even tried following the blonde scout in pink, lavender and white, but, somehow, Sailor R always managed to dodge her.

Down below, they were facing a small creature, red, with horns and a barbed tail, a traditional little imp. Yet, no matter what the four of them tried, they couldn't catch it. She rose to her full height, getting ready to step in and take the little demon out. Then, she saw Sailor R pull off her tiara. She threw it, not at the creature, but at the branch of a nearby tree, snapping it off and pinning the imp beneath it. With the imp now trapped, Sailor Element was finally able to unleash her attack, and the imp was destroyed.

She nodded to herself, as the scouts, save Sailor R, released their transformations. She waited, until the five of them had left, before she slipped off into the night.

* * *

><p>Usagi limped back into her apartment, through the sliding glass doors, directly into the living room of her second floor apartment. She barely made it into her room, before she almost collapsed. The battles were taking more and more energy from her. While Sailor Element and her fellow Defenders of the Garden of the Elements were getting stronger, she felt like she was getting weaker and weaker. She knew her past self in Tokyo was getting stronger, as she regained more memories of her Silver Millennium training, as she fought more and more of Beryl's youma.<p>

She managed to make her way over to her bed, dropping face down into her pillow, not bothering to change out of her jeans, t-shirt, and jacket. She was barely able to kick off her tennis shoes before sleep claimed her.

She awoke a few hours later, sensing another presence in the apartment, and it didn't feel like Trista. Usagi reached under her bed for the aluminum baseball bat she kept there. It wouldn't do to attack a civilian with her powers, so the bat seemed like a pretty good idea. Plus, it could still be used against a monster, unlike a gun. Not that she ever wanted to touch one of those, anyway. But, as she approached the door, she realized the presence was familiar, comfortingly familiar. She creaked open the door and froze.

A ghostly figure stood in the living room, staring at the almost full moon through the glass doors. Blonde hair, the same color as her own, fell to cover the tops of his ears. Lavender boots, made of soft, supple leather, rose to cuff at his knees. White pants, tucked into the boots, matched the mid-thigh length, sleeveless tunic he wore, in a fabric that looked softer than silk. Silver trimmed the tunic's hem and around his arms. Silver bands, decorated with undecipherable runs and stars covered his upper arms, set with pink, blue, lavender and white stones. A cape lay draped across the garnet couch, a pale blue cloak, edged in more runes, stitched with pink, silk-like thread.

But it wasn't his appearance that gave her pause. It was the fact that she'd seen him before.

_She'd been in Terrarose less than three weeks, and she'd already played in two volleyball games for Firerose Academy, Terrarose's elite private school. It had been by mutual consent that Trista had enrolled her there. She was walking back to the apartment after her second game when she encountered the first of the Anti-Elements' monsters. It had been draining energy from two middle school girls, girls she recognized from the crowd at the game._

"_Hey, back off, buddy!" Usagi yelled, running to put herself between the girls and the oozing, slimy, humanized creature. "Leave these girls alone!"_

_The creature moved towards her, reaching out with one slime-covered arm. It stopped as a flash of silver swung through the air. A strange, blonde, ghostly man placed himself between Usagi and the creature, much the same way she had protected the girls. An enormous sword, almost taller than her, shimmered in his hands._

"_Lift your bracelet," he commanded, swinging again at the monster, until it backed up several feet._

_Obediently, Usagi raised the bracelet, the star lying flat across the back of her wrist. He reached out with his left hand and placed it on top of the bracelet. The silver star heated up, though she didn't feel any pain, like it was burning her or anything. It cooled, just as quickly. When he lifted his hand, however, the whole bracelet seemed to be glowing._

"_Fist your hand and raise it before your heart! Call out Royal Star Power. Become Sailor Royal Star!" He ordered, before he vanished in a shower of tiny, silver starbursts._

_Her right hand curled into a fist, she brought it up, almost to her left shoulder._

"_Royal Star Magic!"_

That was the first night she had become Sailor R. She'd chosen to shorten the name, feeling Royal Star was a bit pretentious. Now, she still didn't care much for the name.

"Who are you?" Usagi demanded, still holding the bat, forcing her voice not to tremble. "What do you want?"

He turned, looking at her with pale blue eyes. "You aren't ready to know who I am, little Star Angel. Not yet. I mean you no harm, I promise."

"Star Angel?" Usagi asked, confused.

"You'll understand, when you're ready." He smiled, turning back to the moon. "I am here for a reason, little Star Angel. You need more power. If you don't get it, you won't survive until December."

She paled, sinking down into one of the chairs. "And how do you suppose I get more power?"

"I can temporarily give it to you. Come, stand beside me."

Slowly, Usagi rose and came to stand beside him.

"I had always hoped to give you this, one day, when you were ready. It holds great power, though not as much as my sword." He gave a slight chuckle. "It will see you through the dark times ahead. It will grow as your powers grow. As you learn, so will it." He held out his hands. In them glittered a silver wand, topped by a pink crystal star. "This is the Royal Star Wand, one of the greatest magical weapons I have ever seen. Guard it well."

She frowned, even as she took the Wand. "You mentioned something about it being a temporary solution. That sounds a little more permanent."

"Yes. For now, the Wand pulls its power from its reserves, which can be partially recharged by the light of the stars. There is another source of power which can fully restore the Wand, but it is beyond all reach. However, the power you truly need comes from within you. In order to gain the power you will need to survive, you must reforge the bond that weakens, even as we speak. Reforge your bond and you will have power again."

"Bond? What bond? With who or what?"

"You must figure that one out for yourself. You will know who when you look into your heart. I have faith in you, little Star Angel." He bent his head, placing a kiss on her forehead. She could feel the energy filling her up, recharging her. She could almost hear the bracelet sing with power. "There. That should help, until you can reforge that bond. May the light of all stars shine upon you."

In another flash of showering stars, he was gone, and so was the cape he'd left on the couch.

"Star Angel. That sounds so familiar," she muttered, tightening her grip on her new wand.

Shaking her head, she walked back into her room. Dropping the Wand into her sub-space pocket, she exchanged her clothes for the lavender leggings and long-sleeved, baggy sleep shirt she'd taken to wearing for pajamas. A few quick twists had her hair tumbling down to the floor. In mere minutes it was in one long braid, to avoid tangling in her sleep.

Despite the energy recharge, she was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>Making sure her white mask was fastened in place, Usagi walked up the steps and entered Melanthios Books and Café. The Halloween party was already well underway. She still couldn't believe she was doing this! How had she let Isolde and Miyako talk her into coming? This was such a Serena move! Not at all worthy of her new identity as Usagi Moon!<p>

Her bracelet rested comfortably around her wrist, reminding her she needed to give a bracelet to Cleo and new charms to Miyako and Isolde. Trista had been quite impressed with Usagi's idea for communication devices. They still weren't as complex as she'd have liked. They could only tell each other that they were needed and guide them where they needed to go. They still couldn't talk to each other, tell each other what was going on. But, she'd need a tech wiz like Amy to pull off something like that.

With a shake of her head, she looked for Miyako and Isolde. Part of the agreement had meant matching costumes for the three of them. The short, dark blue dress barely covered more than her Senshi fuku, though it did have long sleeves. A wide, white belt with a silver buckle rested around her waist. At least her legs were covered, too, with the sparkly white tights she'd been told to wear. A pair of dark blue and transparent butterfly wings were strapped to her back. The comfortable ankle-high, stub-heeled black boots partially made up for the uncomfortable costume. She wasn't entirely sure what Miyako and Isolde had been thinking. The mask, however, reminded her of the red one Sailor V had always worn, though no one in Terrarose had ever heard of Sailor V or the Sailor Scouts in Tokyo.

Usagi quickly spotted the two girls in identical costumes, back at what was now their favorite table. She hurried to join them. The sooner they knew she showed, the sooner she could leave and get out of this costume.

She froze, halfway there. She recognized Harper, despite his Grim Reaper robe and plastic scythe. No, it was the pair standing next to him that caused her to pause. Icy white hair fell to the shoulders of a dark-skinned man, dressed in the robes of an Arab sheik. Grey eyes scanned the room, ever wary.

_Malachite!_ Her mind screamed at her. _What is he doing here?_

And yet, standing next to him, laughing, was Darien, dressed in an outfit similar to his armor. And Darien wouldn't stand that close to Malachite, not unless he was brainwashed. But he wouldn't be acting that way if he really was brainwashed, like he had been, of that she was certain. So, was it really Malachite?

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and walked past them.

"Quite a turnout again this year, Harper," called the Malachite-look-alike.

Harper laughed. "Did you expect anything less, Kyle?"

_Kyle? So, did that make him Kyle Lambert? Cleo and Miyako's older brother? If so, that means the hair has to be a wig._ She let out a small sigh and continued to the back to join Isolde and Miyako. Unsurprisingly, Cleo had also joined the pair, though she wore a pair of loose, violet pants and a matching belly-baring tube top with gold coins and beads dangling from the bottom edge. A sheer, lavender veil covered the lower half of her face, while another one covered the top of her head and trailed down to her knees.

"Nice, Cleo!" Isolde was laughing as Usagi joined them.

Cleo crossed her arms. "I had it picked out before the incident in the gym, thank you. Otherwise I'd have tried to match the three of you. What are you supposed to be, anyway?"

"Night Faries," replied Miyako. "You know, from the Snowflake Pageant?"

"At least someone knows what we are," replied Usagi.

Isolde and Miyako smiled, turning to face her.

"You made it!" The curly blonde bounced over, throwing her arms around Usagi. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Is it always this crowded?" Usagi demanded, once Isolde had released her.

The ebon-haired girl nodded. "I think it gets more crowded every year. Though, this is nothing as to how crowded places get during the Snowflake Festival."

Blue eyes narrowed as Usagi leaned back, scanning the crowd, seeing if there was anyone else she recognized. The guy over behind the counter in the café looked slightly familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. The Native American costume didn't really help.

Lia was easily recognized, though, despite her costume. She wore the white and red robes of a Shinto priestess, robes that were so much like Raye's, it briefly made Usagi long for Tokyo and her friends, until she remembered what Raye had said, the last time she'd seen the raven-haired miko.

Here and there were other familiar faces from her classes and the volleyball team. Thankfully, not a one seemed to recognize her. She pressed closer to the corner, not willing to rely on her mask to keep her identity a secret.

Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves. Cleo and Miyako confirmed that the Malachite-look-alike was their brother, Kyle, and that he was wearing a wig. Usagi found herself slowly relaxing. It didn't matter whether Malachite would have recognized her or not. She had just been worried what his presence would mean, concerning Beryl.

* * *

><p>Usagi spent an hour tucked into the corner, watching everyone else, just listening to the others talk, trying to be heard over the other people and the music Harper had playing.<p>

The parking lot outside had been closed off and converted into a make-shift dance floor. Miyako, Cleo, and Isolde eventually migrated over there, out of the dark corner where they had all been hiding.

However, the blonde, disguised Moon Princess frowned into her cup of punch. She was debating walking out towards the floor and telling one of the Elemental Warriors that she was leaving or if she should just leave without telling them. After all, she had more fun at the D-Land ball than she was having here. Well, her cover had been more secure at D-Land, too, so she'd been able to relax and have more fun.

"Did that punch do something to offend you, Miss Usagi Moon?"

Usagi's head jerked up at the teasing voice, and she found herself staring into Darien's face. Under her mask, her eyes widened and her face paled.

"How, how did you recognize me?" she stammered.

He shrugged. "Guess I'm used to looking through disguises. Care for one dance, before the party's over?"

"Don't you have a girlfriend you could be annoying, instead?" Usagi glared at him.

"Actually, my girlfriend's back in Tokyo," he replied, grinning. "At least, I believe she is. Besides, I think she'd understand. She's the kind of girl who doesn't let people be wallflowers. If she were hear, I'd already be worn out from dancing with her. Not that I'd be complaining, mind you. That's just the kind of person she is."

She didn't give herself time to consider his statement. "Why not?" Holding out her hand, she gave a small smile. "As long as your girlfriend won't mind."

He led her to the edge of the dance floor, before spinning her out onto it. "The Monster Mash" ended as they stepped onto the floor, and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" started playing. She couldn't help but laugh as she heard the lyrics.

"Something funny?" Darien asked.

She shook her head. "No, just thinking it's appropriate. Of course Harper would play this song."

Obviously, it was expected, too, as a group from the public high school started dancing across the floor, everyone moving out of their way. The guy in the front had even dressed up as Michael Jackson.

Usagi leaned back against Darien, laughing, as they moved back to watch.

He bent his head to whisper in her ear. "I was wondering where the fun-loving girl had gone, Serena."

She tensed, turning to look over her shoulder, straight into his midnight blue eyes.

"I…" she began.

Then, a scream echoed across the parking lot. Most people seemed to be ignoring it. It was a Halloween party, after all. Nothing looked out of place, but Usagi could feel the darkness pouring across the dance floor. She unconsciously moved a half-step closer to Darien. His arm came up to wrap around her shoulders, bringing his cape with him, just as he had so many times as Tuxedo Mask.

Then, she saw it. Another demon-esque creature, this one crackling with dark crimson flames. But it wasn't alone. A second monster moved across the floor. This one was made of hundreds of sock puppets, obviously one of Poppet's minions. The other had to belong to another of the Anti-Element generals. Someone as dependent on puppets wouldn't unleash anything fiery near such flammable objects.

She looked around, trying to find any place safe to henshin. As she looked, though, she and Darien got caught in the crowd trying to escape. In the confusion, the two of them got separated and she heard her wings break. Finally, she managed to make it to the cemetery Harper had constructed outside the store. Diving behind one of the larger Styrofoam tombstones, she shrugged out of the broken wings, before lifting her bracelet.

"Royal Star Magic!"

She gave a small sigh of relief as she felt the power of her henshin wash over her. She leapt to her feet, hurrying back to confront the monsters.

Sailor Element leapt out of her hiding place, closely followed by Sailors Water and Earth. The ebon-haired scout hurried to her side.

"What do you think? Best chance of taking both of them down?" Element demanded.

Sailor R shook her head. "Not entirely sure."

"Tried and true tactics say divide and conquer. Or, try to turn them against each other," offered Sailor Earth.

The pastel scout frowned, looking back and forth between the two monsters. "Split up. Try and get Fiery over there to take out Sock Puppet. Then, we'll take down Fiery."

Sailor Element nodded. "Earth, with me. We'll concentrate on Fiery. Water, you and R deal with Sock Puppet. But try not to soak him, Water. Wet socks don't burn well."

"You don't need to tell me that," grumbled Sailor Water.

The two blonde scouts headed off to take on the sock puppet monster.

"You got an attack that won't drench it?" Sailor R demanded.

The blue clad scout shook her head. "No, just my Aquatic Flood, remember?"

"Alright, you just try and keep him away from the part guests," ordered Sailor R. "I'll try and send him towards Fiery."

* * *

><p>She watched from the shadows of a nearby alleyway, fiddling with the pendant around her neck. Somehow, she didn't think the four of them could handle both monsters, especially after she saw Sailor Earth get caught by the fiery monster, burns covering her left upper arm.<p>

Bright blue eyes flashed as she lifted her pendant.

"Soul of Fire!"

Flames surrounded her, turning the robes she wore into her red and pink fuku, identical in all but color to the outfits worn by the other Elemental Warriors.

* * *

><p>"Molten Inferno!"<p>

The sock monster turned and was engulfed by a stream of fire, coming from the direction of a nearby alleyway.

A pink and red scout dropped to the ground, her short golden hair fluttering around her head. The sock puppet monster crumbled into a pile of ashes.

"You're next, Fire Creep. You really shouldn't mess with Fire!" The new scout widened her stance, crossing her arms over her chest. "For the Garden of the Elements, I am she who controls the eternal flame of the element of Fire. I am Sailor Fire, and you're going down!"

Sailor Element and the others hurried to her side.

"Together, a combined attack," ordered the ebon-haired scout.

"Molten Inferno!"

"Aquatic Flood!"

"Fossilizing Cage!"

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

"Regal Star Magic!"

The five attacks sped towards the monster. The scouts barely paid attention to the additional stream of fire wrapped around the attack from Sailor Element, along with the earth and water spirals.

The monster just laughed. The water evaporated before it could even touch him, and he just absorbed the fire and the other attacks into himself, before redirecting the power outward with a fiery blast, sending all five scouts flying.

* * *

><p>Once again, Darien found himself helpless in a fight against the creatures of the Anti-Elements. He managed to make his way back down to the fight, hoping for any way he could help. Kyle, Harper, and Owen were on his heels. He arrived to see Sailor Water crumpled on the edge of the parking lot, barely able to lift her head. Sailor Earth was struggling to stand on what looked like a broken ankle, cradling a burned left arm. A new scout crouched in front of Sailor Element, covered in soot and breathing heavily. Sailor Element, herself, could barely maintain her henshin, obviously having used a great deal of her magic.<p>

He looked to his three generals, about to ask them to try and help, knowing he was still useless. As he turned, though, he spotted Sailor R, at the base of the great oak tree that rose across the street from Melanthios Books and Café. She rose, slowly, slightly unsteady on her feet, using one hand on the tree to support herself. Her blue eyes narrowed as she slowly staggered forward.

Darien found himself smiling. Even from here, he recognized that look. His Serena was beyond angry, now. This fire monster wasn't going to know what hit it. He watched as a silver wand, topped with a pink star, glittered into existence.

"You are going to pay for that!" she hissed. "A lot of people put a great deal of hard work into this party. Everyone was here, looking forward to a fun-filled night, and you and your friend had to go and ruin it!"

She lifted the wand over her head, with both hands, trembling with the effort.

"Majestic Star Healing!"

The overwhelming pale pink light of the Wand's power flooded the parking lot, not only destroying the monster but spreading further, repairing all the damage from the battle. After the light faded, Darien hurried toward Sailor R, knowing she was on the verge of losing her henshin and collapsing. He froze, a few steps away from Sailor R, at two whispered words from Sailor Element.

"Endimon? Srenty?"

Pale and trembling violently, now, Sailor R looked past Darien to the ebon-haired scout. "What did you call me?"

However, she barely finished the question before she fell forward. In less than a second, Usagi Moon was cradled in Darien's arms.

"It's alright, Serena. I've got you," whispered Darien, holding her closer. "I'll get you home. Just rest."

"Darien?" His name was almost undecipherable through her exhaustion.

He looked up at Sailor Element. "We're going to have to talk, and soon."

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"So, does anyone know where she lives?" Darien asked, looking at the remaining four scouts.

They all shook their heads.

"We don't even know her civilian identity," explained Sailor Water.

Kyle frowned, stepping forward. "All four of you had better get home, as well. I'd say the party is officially over. I'll let the four of you go, this once."

Sailors Element and Earth seemed to pale at the sight of Kyle. All four girls nodded and vanished, hopefully towards their homes.

Darien looked down at the blonde girl in his arms. Slowly, her blue eyes fluttered open, again.

"Sky Terrace Apartments, on Parkview Lane, Apartment 4," she managed.

He nodded. That wasn't too far from the bookstore.

"I'll see the three of you tomorrow," called Darien, walking down the street, his precious princess snuggling closer to him.

Harper and Owen turned back towards the now deserted bookstore and café. Kyle, however, hurried to catch up with Darien.

"I'll walk with you, just until you get to her apartment. Just to be on the safe side," he stated, his tone telling the reincarnated prince there was no other alternative. Instead, Darien just nodded.

At the apartment, Usagi woke up long enough to pull out her key and unlock the door. The door to her room stood open, so Darien was able to carry her straight into it, lying her down on the bed. Kyle waited in the living room as Darien removed the boots and the mask, leaving the blonde girl to sleep.

"I'm going to stay here, make sure she's alright," stated Darien. "I'll give you a call, tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have some answers by then."

Kyle nodded. "I'll be waiting."

Darien locked the door behind the general. Pulling of the boots he'd worn with his costume, he stretched out on the wide, comfortable couch, pulling his cape around him to use as a blanket.

* * *

><p>There we go! Chapter nine up and done! Darien's told Usagi that he knows she's Serena! Problem is, they still need to talk things out, so stay tuned for that in the next chapter.<p>

We have another new player in the game, too. Sailor Fire! So, what does everyone think of her appearance? Comments on her identity? Anything at all? And who is this mysterious guy who's visited Serena/Usagi? What weakening bond does she have to reforge?

I really look forward to getting your reviews! I got four for chapter eight. Think you all can beat that? I'd really love to get at least five for chapter nine before I get chapter ten done and posted. Please?


	10. Chapter 10: Explanations and Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Ten: Explanations and Revelations

Slowly, he opened his eyes, trying to figure out why he was so uncomfortable. He wasn't back in his room over Melanthios Books and Café, that was for certain. It took him a few minutes to remember last night's battle and Serena's new attack. She had collapsed, and he had carried her back to her apartment. Wanting to make sure she was alright, he'd crashed on the couch in her living room, still dressed in his costume armor from the Halloween party.

He sat up, taking a few moments to finish clearing the sleep from his mind. Feeling a pair of eyes watching him, he turned. Sitting in one of the wine-colored armchairs was the green-haired woman Owen had called Setusna.

"I suppose there is an explanation for this," she said, arching one eyebrow.

The door to Serena's room creaked open, and his princess padded into the room, dressed in her green jogging suit.

"You stayed?" She asked, as she pulled her hair up into both of its familiar buns.

Darien nodded. "I wanted to make sure you were alright, Serena. After all, you were pretty drained. Also, I wanted someone to be able to explain what happened, if Sailor Pluto," he nodded to the green-haired woman, "happened to be here. Though, I'm sure her duties as the Guardian of Time keep her quite busy. And," he paused, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "I wanted to ask what you were doing in Terrarose, and why none of your Senshi were with you, aside from Pluto."

"And how do you know I'm Sailor Pluto? Everyone here knows me as Trista Meioh," replied Trista, leaning back in her chair.

"Not everyone, apparently," stated Serena.

The blonde turned and walked into the kitchen, returning with a plate covered in cinnamon rolls. Darien picked one up, surprised to find it warm.

"I just stuck them in the microwave when I got here," explained Trista, catching his expression. "I wanted to speak with Serena, briefly, but it can wait."

Darien nodded. "So, why _are_ you in Terrarose, Sere?"

"After Beryl kidnapped you, it took me a while to focus on fighting, again," she explained, sighing. "And then the other scouts were talking to Sailor Venus. I'd had to take out three youma on my way to a battle, and so Venus had already destroyed the youma by the time I got there. I listened to the others talking about why I wasn't there, and Mars and Jupiter were cutting me down. None of them believe I really was Princess Serenity, and so I left. I called Pluto and she brought me back in time and here to Terrarose, so Beryl can't find me." Serena picked apart the cinnamon roll, not bothering to eat any of it.

Darien reached out, taking one of her small hands into both of his. "You and I both know your scouts don't have all their memories. Not even you and I can recall all that happened. You just have to give them a little more time. And I doubt all four of your scouts think that way. You even said it was only Mars and Jupiter who were saying anything."

"Yes, but Venus and Mercury…" she trailed off.

"Mercury is always quiet, and trying to be heard over the two of them is almost impossible. She's been with you the longest, and I know she's seen the same changes I have," he replied, taking one hand to tilt her face up so their eyes met. "And isn't it possible Venus could have been waiting for the two of them to finish before she corrected them? I'll admit, I really don't know all that much about Venus, but I do know that would be the quality of a good leader. And I know how hard you've been trying to make yourself a better scout. And everything you've done here in Terrarose just proves it."

Tears filled Serena's eyes, and she blinked them away. Darien released her face, pulling her close. Her head dropped to his shoulder and he let her cry. After a few minutes, she straightened up, wiping away the last of her tears with the palms of her hands.

"And you, Darien? How did you get to Terrarose?" Trista demanded, taking one of the rolls. "From what Serena told me, you were trapped by Beryl."

He shrugged. "Somehow, while Beryl was distracted, I managed to sneak away, into the tunnels of her base." He looked over at Serena. "It's somewhere in the Artic, by the way. Anyhow, I got into the tunnels, looking for any way back to Tokyo. I ended up getting chased to a dead end, the only exit being a very small, locked door. Then, I ended up finding a key on the ground." He gave another shrug. "It opened the door, and I found myself here, in Terrarose. I met Owen Melanthios, who knew me during our previous lives, and so did his older brother, Harper. I've been staying with them until I can go back to Tokyo."

"And how did you find out Usagi Moon is Serena?" One dark green eyebrow rose. "We were very careful with her disguise."

"I knew Usagi Moon reminded me of someone, but I couldn't place who. And then you dropped this at Melanthios." He pulled the Star Locket out of his pocket. "Once I saw the look on your face at the Halloween part, last night, I just knew. And if I hadn't already known, the battle last night would have convinced me, entirely. But, somehow, part of me just knew Usagi and Serena were the same person."

Gently, almost reverently, Serena took back the Star Locket. "It keeps pulling us back together." She smiled up at him.

His hand came up to cup her face, and he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Serena leaned against his side, cuddling up next to her prince.

"You said Owen and Harper are from the past?" Trista's frown appeared again. "And where is this key you used to get here?"

Darien reached back into his sub-space pocket and handed over the small, silvery key, topped with the ivory skull. Carefully, the Time Guardian took it. For a moment, Serena thought she saw a tear glimmer in the corner of Trista's eye.

"What is it, Puu?" Serena looked at her guardian.

Trista sighed, closing her hand around the key. "It's the Key of Dead Time. Essentially, that means is unlocks timelines that aren't possible anymore. I…I gave it to Heliotrope, during the Alliance talks, a peace offering."

Color filled her cheeks as she mentioned the Shitennou of the Underworld.

"Dead Time?" Serena demanded. "What, exactly is Dead Time? I mean, how is a timeline no longer possible?"

"I'll give you an example. A timeline where you and Endymion defeated Beryl on the Moon, before everyone died, that is considered a Dead Timeline. Circumstances prevent that timeline from ever existing. It was possible, once, but no longer. Any time you make a major decision, one that can lead to two different timelines, the one you don't choose becomes a Dead Timeline," explained Trista. "Like when you called me to take you away from Tokyo. That moment had two different pathways. Now, the one where you stayed in Tokyo is closed, it has Died. The future is filled with many branches of pathways, each reflecting a major decision. The past, however, is a single line, with locked doors on either side. This is the key to those locked doors. It's almost never used, because there's no point in going to those places, except for two reasons. One is to understand where things went wrong, or to retrieve something that is essential to the survival of the world that has disappeared because of a past choice."

Midnight blue eyes narrowed. "And you gave this key to Heliotrope?"

"As the Guardian of the Dead, it seemed appropriate he should have it. Though, how it brought you here, I don't know." The Time Guardian's frown deepened. "It should still have been in his possession. However, if it were separated from him, it could possibly lead a person back to its owner. After all, the key can't just move itself."

"So, if Heliotrope somehow lost it, the key would try to lead me back to him?" Darien clarified.

"It should, yes, or to a portal near him. Or even back to me, if I were closer or he were unreachable."

"So, if, instead, it led me to Onyx, who led me to Heliotrope, that would make sense, right? Because Onyx was closest to the portal."

Trista's head snapped around. Her garnet eyes met the prince's dark blue gaze. "Onyx and Heliotrope are both here?"

"Still brothers, too. Apparently, they've been hanging around since the fall of the Silver Millennium, waiting for me to show up," Darien shrugged.

Serena thought for a moment. She and Trista needed to ask Heliotrope about the Garden of the Elements, to see what he remembered. And that did concern the Elemental Warriors. Besides, if they could get help from Darien and two of his Shitennou, then fighting the Anti-Elements could be easier. But, then, that would be more people who could turn against her, later. But, defeating this evil would be far more important. She sighed.

"Would you be willing to get ahold of them? Bring them to a meeting between the Elemental Warriors and myself?" She looked up at him. "We have some questions that they might be able to answer."

Darien nodded. "I know someone else who should probably be there, too. Another of my Shitennou is here, in Terrarose, and I know he wants to help."

"Of course. Bring all three of them if you can," nodded Serena, though she noticed a sad look in his eye. "Darien? What's wrong?"

Trista looked back and forth between the two of them, sensing the young man's reluctance. "I'll meet you at the barn, your highnesses. I'd better alter the security system anyway."

She rose, walking out the apartment door, her green hair flying out behind her.

It wasn't until after Trista had left, that Darien sighed. He looked at the floor, not meeting Serena's gaze.

"Talk to me, Darien. Please," she pleaded, leaning closer, wrapping her hands around his. "I want to help."

He smiled at her, a smile she could tell was forced. "Just wondering whatever would I do without you, Meatball Head?"

"Just so long as I'm _your_ Meatball Head, I don't mind the name," she laughed, knowing he wasn't going to tell her. She wouldn't press, not right now. But, sooner or later, she _would_ find out what was bothering him.

He pulled her close and finally gave her the kiss she'd been waiting for since she realized he was in Terrarose.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until Darien was almost back to Melanthios that he thought about how difficult it would be to get Harper to come. After all, he couldn't just leave everything to Noland. Especially on a Saturday morning. But, the nearby parking lot was still empty as he jogged through it and up to the back door.<p>

Inside, he found Kyle glaring at Harper and Owen. Owen leaned back, Vista, his golden retriever, once more at his side, while Harper calmly met Kyle's gaze. The older two men ignored the steaming cups of coffee sitting before them.

"Morning, Darien!" Owen was completely unfazed by Kyle's expression. Then again, not much seemed to faze the blind boy. "How's it going?"

Slowly, Kyle and Harper turned to face their reincarnated prince, though Kyle was keeping one eye on Harper.

"Not too bad. I thought you'd still be open, today, Harper," he commented, scooping up the third mug and filling his own cup of coffee.

Harper shook his head. "We always close the day after the Halloween party. Usually just for clean-up, but I don't think I'd get many customers today, anyway. Not with this being the second attack at my bookstore."

"Well, how do you feel about going to a meeting?" Darien leaned back against the counter, before taking a careful sip.

"What kind of meeting?" Dark red eyes narrowed.

Darien shrugged. "The kind where we discuss things with the girls who've been protecting Terrarose from these Anti-Elements creatures. We get a few questions answered and we answer a few of theirs. That kind of meeting."

Instantly, he had Kyle's full attention. "When and where?"

"I'll show you, as soon as I get changed," The dark-haired man turned and headed up to the second floor. "This costume is not nearly as comfortable as it looks."

* * *

><p>Torn between throwing the math textbook across the room and risking waking her father, Isolde looked up at the sudden knock on her window. Sailor Fire was perched on the branch of the nearby tree. Looking around cautiously, the blonde dancer slid the window open. The red and pink scout climbed through, landing lightly on the worn, faded grey-brown carpet.<p>

"Hi, Isolde!" Sailor Fire gave a familiar smile that more closely resembled a smirk.

"Lia?" Isolde barely managed to keep herself from screaming. "Is that you?"

Flames briefly surrounded the newest scout. When they faded, Lia Agni stood in Isolde's room, still wearing her same smirky smile.

"Cool, don't you think?"

The other girl dropped onto her bed, her face blank and her green eyes wide. "Why are you here, and telling me?"

Lia sat down next to her, legs swinging as they dangled a few inches from the floor. "Well, I was going to go tell Miyako and Cleo first, but then I'd have to worry about Kyle popping his head in. Yeah, since Miyako's Sailor Element, she should have found out first, but, oh well, I'm telling you. After all, you are Sailor Water, aren't you?"

Bright green eyes turned to focus and meet laughing bright blue ones.

"How…how do you know that?" Isolde stammered out. "We've been so careful!"

Lia shrugged. "I've been following you all for weeks, since shortly after your first appearance. I don't completely understand the flashes of memories that showed up when I first transformed. I mean, I saw myself swearing allegiance to the Princess of the Garden of the Elements and a couple of other pieces that don't make sense. I just sort-of hung back, waiting until you needed me. With Sailor R on your side, you haven't really needed me. Actually, she's the only one of you I don't know."

"So, you've followed all of us, and yet you haven't figured out Sailor R?"

"I think she's had more practice with this kind of thing," mused the slightly shorter girl. "I always loose her, every time I try."

Suddenly, Isolde was on her feet, lifting her new charm bracelet. She took the blinking, star-shaped charm between her fingers, tapping it three times.

"Nice bracelet," muttered Lia.

"Our communication system," explained her friend, hurrying to slide on her bright green sneakers. "Courtesy of Sailor R. Much easier than trying to get everyone a cellphone, and we can even use them in school. We've been called to a meeting at our training grounds. You can explain everything there. And we'll see about getting you one, too. Each charm is for a different scout, so we need new ones for Cleo and you, anyway."

-8-

Sailor Element let herself into the barn, the green-clad scout right on her heels. She cradled the travel mug of black coffee in her hands. She'd really been looking forward to sleeping in today. Her dreams had become far too unsettling for her to get a decent night's sleep, and the nocturnal battles hadn't helped. She could almost swear someone was trying to alter her dreams, so she couldn't remember them correctly. It did seem strange, she knew, but no stranger than anything else had been, recently. Then again, if the dreams weren't keeping her awake, that annoying question was. Who were Endimon and Srenty? What exactly did those names mean? She hadn't been able to fall asleep for the longest time, until she decided she'd ask Sailor R if she had any idea. Though she knew she should be able to place them, herself.

Cleo certainly wasn't having a hard time sleeping. Her adopted sister was almost overly cheerful these days. Though how much of that was a mask for Kyle's sake, Miyako couldn't quite tell.

At least they weren't the last ones to the meeting, nor were they the first. Sailor R was already there, confirmed by the green hoodie thrown in the corner, though the scout in question was nowhere in sight.

As was habit, the two of them had both transformed before entering the barn. Previous encounters had taught her training started the minute she walked through the door. Reluctantly setting down her coffee, Sailor Element began to stretch, keeping an eye out for Sailor R.

Sailor Water hurried in a few moments behind them. She did live farther away, after all. Midnight blue eyes widened in Sailor Element's face as she saw Sailor Fire walk in after her fellow blonde scout. But that wasn't the last of the surprises. Just a few short minutes later, four people she didn't expect at all came walking into the training barn. Right away, she recognized Harper and Owen, and, of course, Kyle. It took her a couple of moments to recall the raven-haired man was called Darien, and he was a friend of Harper's and a new friend of Kyle's.

Kyle seemed to be looking around, slightly confused, while Harper appeared almost impressed.

"What are the four of you doing here?" Sailor Water yelped.

Sailor Earth folded her arms. "And how did you get in here? This place has top security clearance."

"I invited them," declared Sailor R, emerging from a door at the far end of the room. "There are things we all need to discuss. We aren't training just yet, ladies. Follow me. We'll all be more comfortable in here. We might as well drop our henshins, too. We can trust them. I give you my word on that."

As she turned back towards the door, the pastel scout dissolved into Usagi Moon, dressed in a pair of dark green leggings, a white t-shirt, and a pair of matching, dark green running shoes. She looked back over her shoulder, beckoning to them. Reluctantly, knowing the others were waiting for her decision, Sailor Element released her transformation. She tried not to look at Kyle as she followed Usagi into a comfortable, well-lit room, filled with cozy chairs. Cleo came up next to her, handing her the mug of coffee she'd managed to forget about.

Another woman was already sitting in one of the chairs, dressed in a lavender suit. Her long, dark green hair was partially pulled up into a bun, while the rest of it fell to her hips. She calmly sipped at a cup of tea, as the others entered. The only time her calm façade flickered was when Harper walked into the room. Miyako was surprised to see a small falter in his step as he noticed her sitting there. Was something going on between the two of them? Or had something happened?

There was a slight smile on Usagi's face, as the blonde watched Harper. Obviously, whatever it was, Usagi knew about it. The other girl took a chair next to the strange woman. Darien moved to stand, almost protectively, behind her, drawing a pair of raised eyebrows from Harper and Kyle, as well as a chuckle from Owen.

"You don't seem surprised to see us here, Kyle," observed Cleo, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Miyako took a good look at her adopted older brother. Cleo was right. He looked more like he'd been expecting them to be here. Almost like he'd resigned himself to the fact that they were fighting the Anti-Elements.

"I've had some suspicions for a while," he stated, dismissively.

Somehow, though, Miyako didn't think it was as simple as that.

-8-

Usagi watched the others enter, careful to keep one eye on Trista's expression. _Of course Harper and Owen are Heliotrope and Onyx. After all, didn't Darien say that Owen was the one who was waiting when he got here? And then he said the portal led him to Onyx? But, who is Kyle? _She smiled, noticing how Trista flushed, slightly, and her teacup trembled as she saw Harper walk into the room. And, of course, she noticed the slight pause as Harper's eyes found Trista. _So, he wasn't as oblivious as she thought, now was he?_

She turned as Sailor Water once again became Isolde Marlowe. Her eyes widened, imperceptibly, as Sailor Fire revealed herself to be Lia Agni. Although, Miyako and Cleo wasted no time in hurrying over to embrace their friend. She was thankful for Darien's hand on her shoulder and for Trista's reassuring presence at her side.

Lia leaned back against the wall, near the door, after Miyako released her. "So, why are these guys here?" She motioned to Harper, Owen, Kyle and Darien, before pointing at Trista. "And who is she?"

"I am Trista Meioh, also sometimes known as Sailor Pluto," explained the Time Guardian. "I am here as Usagi's guardian and protector."

"And why does _Usagi_ need a protector?" Kyle demanded. "Or is she…"

He was interrupted by Darien. "Peace, Kunzite." His hand tightened on Usagi's shoulder. "That's not the point we're here to discuss. Are any of you ladies familiar with the Golden Kingdom of Terra?"

Usagi noticed a spark flicker in the eyes of her fellow Senshi. They _had_ heard of it.

"The sand-filled deserts of the Western Kingdom," muttered Cleo.

Kyle turned to stare at her. No, wait. What had Darien called him? Kunzite?

Isolde nodded. "The icy wastes of the Northern Kingdom."

Lia frowned, but she didn't say anything, nor did Miyako. The ebon-haired girl looked more confused, but also rather hurt by the name.

"Then you may be aware of Beryl and her attempted takeover of Terra, several thousand years ago. Those of us of the Terran Royal Court were reincarnated in this time," explained Darien. "At least, we believe the others may have been reincarnated."

"You were Prince Endymion of Terra," said Lia, suddenly, her bright blue eyes widening. "I remember seeing you and your company of Shitennou!"

Darien nodded. "With me are three of them, Kunzite, Heliotrope, and Onyx." He nodded to each of them in turn. "We would like to offer our assistance in helping defeat these Anti-Elements you are facing."

"Though, perhaps you could answer a question for us." Trista directed the question towards Miyako and her friends, but her gaze focused on Harper. "What exactly is the Garden of the Elements?"

Miyako frowned. "I can't really remember. I just know it was my home."

Her fellow Elemental Warriors nodded.

"I only remember part of the old legend," stated Harper.

Every head turned to face him.

He kept his crimson gaze focused on the floor. "Well, I don't even remember everything I was told about it. Father only told it to me once or twice. Like the Moon Kingdom," he paused to nod to Trista and Darien, "the legend was forbidden. Supposedly, it was the source of all magic."

"I thought that was the Galaxy Cauldron," muttered Usagi.

Trista nodded. "I thought it was, as well."

"Like I said, it was an old legend I only heard once or twice," continued Harper. "I think it might have just been the source for our solar system, or even just for Terra. I can't remember. Anyway, there was a fight between the ruler of the Garden and the ruler of Elysian. I don't think Terra was the Golden Kingdom at the time. Anyway, whatever happened in that battle, the Garden became a forbidden topic of discussion. I don't even know how Father heard about it. There was another piece connected to it, though. Something about the Triad of Power, though Father couldn't explain that. Only that it was somehow connected."

"Perhaps, in time, you'll remember more," offered Darien. "All of you."

"Trista, is there any way for you to go back and find out?" Usagi asked, looking over at her guardian.

She shook her head. "There are very few pieces in the time stream where I cannot reenter it. The final years of the Golden Kingdom and the Silver Millennium are one such time. The devastation caused during those years is too great. The Time Gate, itself, has sealed them off. And, without more information, I wouldn't know what to look for, anyway."

The three Shitennou looked at each other, though Owen's expression was unreadable.

"Well, tell us what you can about these Anti-Elements," offered Darien. "Like I said, we want to help as much as possible."

-8-

Okay, so really, I should have posted this yesterday, but I hadn't finished typing it up yet. Though, if I knew exactly what I did, I'd do it again here. I had six reviews by the time I got home from work Monday night. Six reviews! On one chapter! That's pretty much a record for me. Think we could beat it again? Just asking!

Anyway, I worked a little more on the scene between Serena and Darien at the beginning. I think we all know what's troubling Darien. The problem will be getting him to admit it! Also, time is ticking to figure out the bond Serena/Usagi must reforge to save herself! And, what exactly is the Garden of Elements? Why was it a forbidden topic? What is this mysterious Triad of Power? Stay tuned!

Also, don't expect the next chapter until next week, at earliest. I've got a lot going on the second half of this week. Classes, life, etc. But Spring Break is next week. Hopefully, I'll get some more work done then. The next chapter is nowhere near ready to go up. But don't let that stop your reviews! Please!


	11. Chapter 11: Double Trouble

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Eleven: Double Trouble

Usagi walked into the bustling school cafeteria, clutching her lunch bag to her chest. That was one thing she really did miss about Tokyo. She wished she could eat outside, again. Here, everyone was crowded into the cafeteria and told to stay there, unless they had a pass.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"We're not letting you sit by yourself at lunch, today, Usagi." Miyako gave her a mock glare. "I don't care what happened in Tokyo. Come on."

As the ebon-haired girl drug her across the cafeteria, Usagi frowned. "What do you know about Tokyo?"

"I figure something happened there, with your friends turning on you, and so you don't trust us not to do the same thing," she answered, with a one-shouldered shrug. "So, we'll just have to prove it to you. We aren't them."

She nudged Usagi into the open chair, next to Lia. On the fire scout's other side sat Cleo, who looked far more relaxed than her blonde friend.

"We can't be discussing stuff like that here," hissed Lia, glaring at Cleo.

The other girl shrugged. "And why not? This place is crowded, noisy, and it's a lot harder to make out what anyone is saying. So, the chances of us being overheard are rather slim."

"Slimmer if we could go outside," grumbled Usagi.

"Wait," called Lia. "You got to eat outside in Tokyo?"

She nodded. "And we kept the same classroom. The teachers moved, not us. No crazy, crammed hallways between classes. No mad dashes to make it before the class bell. No crowded cafeteria." She sighed, staring down at the grey-flecked, white table. "Sometimes, I really miss Tokyo."

"I can imagine," agreed Cleo, wistfully.

Miyako slid into the chair next to Usagi. "Well, on a different note, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

Usagi blinked in confusion. "What's Thanksgiving?"

"American holiday," explained Lia. "An excuse to get family together, eat massive amounts of food, and for a number of people, watch football. My family comes in from all over the place. The weather here doesn't turn bad until just after Thanksgiving, usually. Last week in November, there's more Agni's in this town than I can keep track of. So, I'm going to be pretty busy at home. Thankfully, volleyball's just about over."

Cleo nodded. "Originally, it was a day to gather and give thanks for all the blessings you'd received. Like a bountiful harvest, or whatever. Now, it's just become a veg-out day. Mom and Dad used to go all out. Turkey, stuffing, the works. Last year, Kyle tried to cook. Turned into a disaster."

"So, we're trying to decide what to do this year. Isolde's dad is working again, so we thought about inviting her over, so she's not alone, you know. I thought, if you didn't have any plans, you and Trista might like to come, too. And Kyle's inviting his best friend from high school, Noland Baker, so we can just sort-of have a relax day. Plus, we usually start discussing things for the Snowflake Festival."

"And I think Kyle said something about asking the Melanthios brothers and Darien to join us, too," added Cleo, shoving her silvery, white-blonde hair over her shoulder. "And doing sort-of a potluck thing. You know, everyone brings a dish. Just figured we'd ask."

Usagi looked back and forth between the pair of adopted sisters. "I'll talk to Trista. But, as long as nothing comes up, we should be fine."

"Great!" Both sisters cheered.

* * *

><p>"So, anything else you miss about Tokyo?" Lia demanded.<p>

The three of them had met up with Isolde after school. At Miyako's urging, they were heading to Usagi's apartment to hang out and, hopefully, study.

"Well, I do miss the Crown Arcade. I used to go there almost every day, after school. The guy who runs it, Andrew, is practically like an older brother to me. I've known him for ages. There are a couple of friends I miss. Molly and Melvin, mostly. Yes, Melvin used to annoy me, with his crazy theories and his good grades, without really even trying. Molly's been my best friend since my first day of school. Her mom owns a jewelry store, and we loved to go in and look at what she had. Sometimes, I'd even be able to get some rhinestone pieces on a bit of a discount."

"But, they aren't scouts, are they?" Lia asked, noticing the sad note in Usagi's voice. "And they don't know about scout business."

Usagi shook her head. "No. I couldn't put them in danger, like that."

She swung towards the park, trying to enjoy the nice weather while it lasted. But, there was already a bite in the air. Winter was coming. Besides, she really wasn't in any hurry to study. Yes, there'd probably be another battle tonight, so she should get it done, now, but…

_Then again, maybe not,_ she thought, as a scream echoed across the park.

She ran towards the sounds of screams and fighting. The others followed closely behind her.

Kyle was already there, helping people evacuate the scene. Nearby, a small figure crouched in one of the trees, a winged snake wrapped around his arm. It took her a moment to recognize Owen, especially beings as he wore his white, gold, and brown uniform, with his black-lined, brown cape, and his customary shades were gone. She had to admit, the milky white eyes were a little disturbing.

Then, she looked towards the monsters. There was one of Poppet's, this time resembling a marionette. Across the clearing from it was another fiery, demonic creature, with black bat wings and a barbed tail. But the odd thing was, neither creature was attacking. Instead, all their attention was focused on two women hovering above them, screaming at each other and, occasionally, physically attacking each other, as well.

"The right of conquest is mine!" Stringy white-blonde hair fell to the knees of the speaker. It didn't take the sock puppet on her hand for Usagi to recognize Poppet, though the Anti-Elements general wasn't speaking in her usual couplets. "I was first, Demona!"

Demona, for apparently that was her name, was dressed in siren red, a dress Usagi was sure Beryl would have approved of, as revealing as it was. She could swear it was shorter even that the dress she'd worn to the Halloween part, and it was certainly as low-cut as Beryl's. Black hair flared out in jagged layers to her knees, streaks of red edging her face. Her eyes were completely black. The scent of sulfur wafted through the air around her.

"I care not what imagined rights you have, Poppet. I will be the one to destroy the Elemental Warriors, in the name of our great Master, the Void," hissed Demona.

Poppet screeched and launched herself at Demona.

"Is it too much to ask that they take each other out?" Lia mused. "You know, save us the trouble?"

Miyako shook her head. "No. They're risking too many lives. Let's go ahead and get the monsters while they're distracted. Then, we'll move on to Poppet and Demona. Kyle has the civilian evacuation under control. Let's go!"

Usagi nodded. "Royal Star Power!"

"Soul of the Elements!"

"Soul of Fire!"

"Soul of Water!"

"Soul of Earth!"

Sailor Element and Sailor Fire headed towards the marionette monster, while Sailor R, Sailor Water, and Sailor Earth turned to face the demonesque creature.

"Molten Inferno!"

The marionette monster never even saw the attack coming. In seconds, she was nothing but a pile of ashes. The demon turned to Sailor Fire, preparing his attack.

"Fossilizing Cage!"

"Aquatic Flood!"

The attack never left his hands. Sailor Earth's cage trapped him, and Sailor Water's attack filled the cage. Without his flames, he crumpled, uselessly, to the ground.

"Regal Star Magic!"

The attack from Sailor R finished him off, drawing the attention of both Poppet and Demona.

"My precious puppets you did harm,

Now face the power of a puppet swarm!"

A mass of small puppets flew from Poppet's open hand and the mouth of her sock puppet. The five scouts hurried to dodge them.

"Wyvern Shadow Barrier!"

Onyx, Shitennou of Shadows, dropped down from his tree, his hands stretched out in front of him. Shadows flew from all across the clearing, forming a wall between the scouts and the puppet barrage.

"Thanks, Onyx," waved Sailor R. "Now, it's our turn!"

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

Sailor Element leapt up, to shoot her attack over the wall of shadows. It blasted into Poppet, sending her flying backwards into Demona. At Sailor Element's nod, Onyx dropped his barrier.

Sailor Earth lifted her hands.

"Fossilizing Cage!"

She trapped the two generals, before stepping to the side.

"Together, Sailor R?" Sailor Element asked, already stretching out her hand, again.

Sailor R strode forward, calling forth her Star Wand.

"Majestic Star Healing!"

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

Poppet let out a squeal, before disappearing. Demona, however, smirked, behind a wall of red and black flames.

"I am not so easily dealt with as that," she laughed. "By unholy might, I call forth a creature of darkness…"

"Molten Inferno!"

Sailor Fire's attack slammed into her, interrupting the summons.

A light flickered in Sailor R's eyes. "She has to be purified in order to be destroyed! Unholy power! That's the key!"

"But purification belongs to the elements of Air and Aethyr," protested Sailor Earth, confused. "Wait. How do I know that?"

Sailor R reached towards her bracelet. Was purifying Demona worth the risk of letting Beryl find her? But, what other choice did she have?

"No," interrupted Sailor Element, smiling at the blonde scout in red and pink. Sailor Fire returned the look with one of confusion. "Air and Aethyr aren't the only ones who can purify," explained the ebon-haired scout. "Fire is just as capable of purifying as they are."

"But my Molten Inferno barely fazed her," protested Sailor Fire.

Demona cackled, rising back to her feet.

"Aquatic Flood!"

Sailor Water narrowed her eyes, concentrating on holding the flood on Demona. "Hurry up! I can't hold her forever, you know!"

Instinctively, Sailor Element knew what she had to do. She wouldn't have been surprised if this scene hadn't been one of her forgotten dreams. She held out both of her hands, palm up.

"Place your hands over mine, Sailor Fire."

Slowly, the blonde scout complied, a frown still on her face. Sailor Element smiled, allowing her magic to reach out and touch her friend's. Her violet power mixed with the vibrant, fiery red of Sailor Fire's and it began to take form between their hands.

Sailor R shot the pair a confused look. For a moment, Sailor Element's fuku flickered, replaced with a black and gold gown, a crown of gold resting on her brow. But it faded before she could get a good look, and Sailor Element stood there, apparently unaware of the brief transformation.

Sailor Element lowered her hands, as Sailor Fire's right hand grasped the power flickering between the two of them. Looking down, she saw a short, curved saber clutched in her friend's right hand, her left hovering over the blade.

"You know what to do, Sailor Fire," commanded the Elemental commander.

She nodded, tightening her grip on the silver hilt, the blade glowing a brilliant white.

"I call upon the ancient, purifying powers of Fire," she called out, lifting the blade over her head, before lowering it, slashing at Demona.

"Encircling Firestorm!"

White flames, edged in brilliant blue, streaked towards the soaking, Anti-Elements general. They surrounded her, engulfing her in the overwhelming heat that could be felt even several yards away, where the other scouts stood. When, at last, the flames extinguished, all the water from Sailor Water's attack had evaporated. All that was left of Demona was a cracked, black and red amulet, which crumbled into dust and blew away, even as they watched.

From his post at the edge of the park clearing, Kyle began to clap, quickly joined by Onyx, even as he faded back into Owen.

"Nicely done, ladies," complimented Kyle. "Not sure you really need all that much help."

Sailor R grinned. "Well, we certainly needed Onyx's help, today. That barrier of yours was quite impressive."

"Thank you," he gave a small bow. "Well, I should be getting home. Good day, everyone." He gave another wave, grabbing Vista's harness as the golden retriever trotted over. "I'd say I'd see you around, but…" Owen shrugged, and he left, heading towards the bookstore and café.

Kyle shook his head. "Until later, ladies."

"So, study group still on?" Sailor Water asked.

Sailor Element shrugged. "I see no reason why not. Usagi?"

But the blonde girl wasn't paying any attention to her fellow Senshi. Only a few feet away, Darien looked at the remains of the battlefield, an unreadable look on his face. As if noticing Usagi's gaze, he looked up, giving her a sad smile that didn't reach his eyes, before he turned and followed Owen.

_What was that about?_

"Hey, Usagi!"

"What, sorry. My mind was wandering," she said, shrugging.

"Study group. We still good?" Lia demanded.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in a small, dark cave in an undisclosed location<p>

"Two more generals have failed me, falling to the hands of those pesky, little Elemental Warriors," growled a hunched figure, resting on a throne of polished black marble. "I thought you had better recruits than that, Ichirou. Do not let the others fail, or on your head be it."

He pulled his long robe tighter around himself, burying his head in his chest. "Their defeats weaken the Void. We cannot allow the Warriors to reclaim the Garden."

The young man kneeling at the throne's base lifted his head. "I shall dispatch Romera and Microbis at once, before the others can return. The last four Elemental Warriors will not return to her side. The Garden's Gate _will_ remain sealed. I promise you that, my lord."

"Then be done with it, Ichirou Nori."

Ichirou rose and bowed to the man. "As you wish, my lord. We will succeed. I have no doubt of that."

* * *

><p>So, there we go! One more chapter down! I have eight more chapters planned for this story, and then it'll be on to the next story in this arc! Well, with a possible detour for some more of Harry Potter and the Secret Past on the way. Though, we'll see.<p>

Four more Elemental Warriors are out there, waiting to be found! Who are they? Where are they? Any guesses? And what about the pair plotting in that cave? When are the Elemental Warriors and Sailor R going to finally run into them? And what's with Darien? What's bothering him? All will be revealed in the coming chapters!


	12. Chapter 12: New Questions, New Arrivals

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Twelve: New Questions, New Arrivals

"Kyle, are you sure Mom kept the good china up here?" Miyako yelled down through the trapdoor. "Because I'm not seeing it."

The door to Cleo's room creaked open. "Why are you even bothering to look for the good china, anyway?"

"Because it's Thanksgiving. And I want it to be a good Thanksgiving. I mean, it's not like it's just family this year," she explained, shifting another box.

Kyle strolled over, fastening the last of the buttons on his uniform shirt. "Far back, right hand corner. Behind all the Christmas stuff. It should be in a big wooden trunk. If you don't find it, I'll look tonight, when I get home. Don't forget, the two of you have training in an hour. I'll see you both after supper, barring a monster attack."

Miyako frowned, crawling over to lean down from the attic. "You know, it's been way too quiet since we destroyed Poppet and Demona. I mean, come on! A week and a half with no attacks? They're planning something."

"It's too much to hope for that they're gone?" Cleo moaned. "You know, taken each other out, the way Poppet and Demona were trying to do?" At a glare from her sister, she signed. "Guess it is."

Lifting herself back into the attic, Miyako turned around. There were boxes everywhere. Most were labeled things like "Kyle's 5th Grade Science Project" or "Cleo's School Homework." Then, there were the two boxes of Easter decorations, the five boxes of Halloween stuff Kyle had just brought back up, last week. Now, where were the boxes of Christmas stuff? Dad had always been the one pulling everything in and out of the attic. But, after the car crash, last year, it took a while for any of them to be willing to set foot in the attic. And even then, none of them wanted to touch any of the boxes with their parents names on them.

Yes, Jeffery and Meredith Lambert had been her adopted parents, but they were the only parents she had really known. Miyako hadn't really been old enough to have concrete memories of her biological parents, after all, she'd been all of three when they were taken from her. Sometimes, in her dreams, she was sure she remembered them, but, on waking, the memories faded.

Finally, she managed to make her way back to the corner her brother had mentioned. And, sure enough, there were all the Christmas boxes, neatly stacked. Behind them, an enormous old cedar chest, the one Mom had called her 'hope chest.' Delighted, she flung open the lid. But, the edge caught on a small, unmarked box, and it's contents scattered across the floor.

She scrambled to pick everything up. A few pieces of some high quality jewelry, a gold and silver wristwatch, a small, ceramic statuette of a tiger, surprisingly intact. But, most of it was all photographs. She froze, as she reached for one that had fallen face up.

They looked like such a happy family. The dad stood in the back, one arm wrapped around his wife's shoulders. Ebon black hair was cut in a conservative style, suited to his business attire. But even his dark blue eyes sparkled with laughter. His wife had the same black hair, though hers fell in loose waves past his waist. She, too, was smiling, completely happy. She had both hands up, holding a small, two-year old girl. She had her mother's hair, though hers was only just past her ears. In one hand, she held a familiar, stuffed black horse. The father's other arm rested behind a five-year old boy, ebon-haired like the rest of them, and with the same midnight blue eyes. He reached out, holding his sister's hand, but she suspected he was also helping her hand onto her horse, too.

Miyako started flipping through the other photographs. Over and over again, she saw the four of them. The boy, dressed in a sailor's outfit, had a backpack on his back, and he reached up to hold his mother's hand, a picture that reminded Miyako of her first day of school.

"Are they my birth family?" She gathered up the rest of them. "But, why are they back here? Why haven't I seen them before?"

She shoved everything back into the box, promising herself that she'd come back for it, later. She moved the box away, putting it over, closer to the trapdoor, hiding it so no one else would find it, before she turned back to the hope chest and her adopted mother's china.

"Hey, Cleo! I found it! You want to come give me a hand?" Miyako called over her shoulder.

The door to Cleo's room opened back up, and her adopted sister slowly climbed up the ladder. "Not really. But, since, it seems to mean so much to you…"

Miyako ignored the sarcasm in Cleo's voice. "Good. Here." She shoved a stack of plates at the pale blonde girl. "Get those down to the kitchen so I can wash them."

* * *

><p>"So, did you hear?" Cleo asked, leaning across the lunch table. "There're two new students in our grade. I haven't seen them yet, but Bethany hasn't shut up about them. She says the girl's alright, but the boy is some creepy nerd or something like that. He was fascinated by a bug on the windowsill all during her first period art class."<p>

Lia frowned. "Do you think they could be enemies? I mean, coming at this time of year? Most kids wouldn't start the week before Thanksgiving, would they? Mid-term and all? I thought Firerose had a policy on that, or something close to that?"

The other girls shrugged. Usagi turned, scanning the cafeteria. "Does anyone know what they look like or where they're from?"

"No, afraid not," replied Cleo. "Bethany just kept going on about how creepy the guy was until Ms. Fisher told her to be quiet."

Blue eyes widened and the former Moon Princess froze. Shoulder-length reddish hair, topped by a familiar blue-green bow, she recognized that hairstyle. But, Molly couldn't be here! Could she? Thinking back, she realized she couldn't remember seeing Molly or Melvin, for that matter, since shortly after Nephlite's death. It scared her that she hadn't realized how far she'd drifted from her two first best friends. But, if it really was Molly, what brought her to Terrarose, of all places? And why Firerose Academy? Usagi shook her head, turning her attention back to her lunch.

"Well," Miyako was explaining. "I've got some even better news. Mr. Handel managed to arrange for the entire freshman class to take a trip to that interactive science museum, over on Longburrow. You know, the one he's been trying to get the freshmen into since Kyle's freshman year."

"He finally got everything worked out?" Cleo demanded.

Miyako nodded. "Basically, from what I understand, the museum had decided to host a freshman day, so Isolde and the rest of the Terrarose Public High freshmen will be there, too. We'll get to spend the whole school day at the museum, instead of in class. And, we'll get to eat outside, since there's no eating inside the museum, itself."

Lia let out a cheer, and Usagi found herself smiling.

"So, when is this trip?" Usagi inquired.

"Week from Tuesday. You'll get your permission slips in science class, today. Then, they're due back by Friday. I don't know what they're doing for the people who can't go."

"Well, we'll all be going, so it doesn't really matter," decided Lia.

* * *

><p>"Alright, boys and girls, let's settle down." Mr. Handel, a short, squat man with frizzy, Einstein-like white hair, walked up to his desk at the front of the room. "As many of you are aware, we have two new students joining us, today." He motioned to the two people standing at the front of the room.<p>

Usagi looked up from the lab table she shared with Lia, getting her first real look at the two new students. Oh, yes, that was definitely Molly. And Melvin! What in the name of the Moon was going on here?

"Please welcome Miss Molly Baker and Mr. Melvin McCellbellum. Both of you take a seat next to Miss Agni and Miss Moon. Miss Agni, Miss Moon, will the two of you stand, please?"

Lia rose, followed shortly by Usagi, moving mechanically, almost on auto-pilot.

"Now," continued Mr. Handel, as Molly and Melvin claimed the two open chairs in front of Lia and Usagi, "I have permission slips for an upcoming field trip."

At last, the final bell rang, and Usagi was able to flee her science class. What in the world were Molly and Melvin doing here? Or were they really the same Molly and Melvin that she knew? After all, it was entirely possible, even as unlikely as it was, that there could be two people so like them, wasn't it?

She sighed. She could miss one day of training. Besides, she really could use a short break. That decided, she turned towards Melanthios Books and Café.

* * *

><p>Darien stared down into the mug of black coffee, which had almost completely cooled. It didn't help that he hadn't been sleeping well. Especially not since Halloween. Since his arrival in Terrarose, he'd been plagued by nightmares.<p>

A night didn't go by without him reliving those final moments in the Moon Kingdom. The ball, dancing with Serenity, while the Earth rose in the sky above them. Beryl and her army swarming the Moon, led by the decoy generals, dying to protect Serenity, and realizing she would die, anyway.

But, there were others, too. Most, he couldn't remember, except the vague memory of the name, Endimon, whoever that was. But, since Halloween, again and again, he'd seen Serena fall to one of the Anti-Elements, and he couldn't reach her to save her.

He reached into his subspace pocket, and he pulled out his hen shin rose, spinning it around in his fingers. He couldn't ask Serena to risk her cover to purify it, much as eh wanted to be able to protect her.

"Hey, Darien," stated Kyle, dropping down onto the stool next to him. "Coffee any good today?"

"He wouldn't know. He hasn't even taken a sip," called Harper.

Kyle nudged his reincarnated prince. "You alright?"

"Not really sure," said Darien, shrugging. "Can I really be alright when I can't do anything to help out? When I'm forced to sit on the sidelines?" He lifted the rose, before slipping it back into his sub-space pocket. "Can I really be alright if I can't even fully be myself?"

Harper leaned onto the counter. "Hey, things will work out."

"Like they worked out for the Golden Kingdom and the Silver Millennium? No, Harper. I can't just blindly trust that everything's going to work out. I need to be out there. I need to be doing something. Not just sitting around, waiting!"

Darien rose off his stool and strode out the café door.

Kyle turned to Harper, frowning. "What do we do?"

"I don't think _we_ can do anything. Just be here for him, when he does need us. Until then, we wait, too," stated the Underworld general.

"And we hate waiting as much as he does," muttered the general-turned-cop. "I can only hope it's a short wait."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in a small, dark cave in an undisclosed location<p>

"Microbis, Romera." The young man stood at the bottom step, below the base of the currently empty throne. His dark, red-brown hair had been carefully pulled back into a neat, short horse-tail, keeping all but a few thin tendrils out of his pitch-black eyes.

Two figures emerged from the shadows surrounding the throne room.

The first was a tall, male figure, dressed in a black lab coat, and black boots that disappeared under the hem of the buttoned coat. Brilliantly white hair stood up in all directions, as if he'd just been electrocuted. Dark eyes flickered around the room, not settling on any one thing.

The second figure looked like she'd walked out of a Valentine's Day store. Pink hearts covered her short red dress. Silver, heart-shaped barrettes held back a shoulder-length mass of reddish-pink waves. Yet, every single heart was cracked, even the ones on her barrettes Some were almost completely in half, others only partially.

"I want both of you to get rid of those pesky Elemental Warriors, and their friend, that Sailor R. I don't care how you do it. I just want them gone. Our lord, the Master of the Void, grows weary of their existence."

Romera bowed, a brilliant smile upon her face. "It shall be done, my lord. After all, who can fight with a broken heart?"

"And even science is on our side," added Microbis. "Indeed, the first of my plans is already underway."

The two Anti-Element generals bowed as Ichirou left them to return to the side of their master.

"You'd better watch yourself, Microbis," hissed Romera. "Your little pet has already failed our lord and master. I hate to think what will happen if you fail, again."

Microbis whirled to face her. "At least I've already tried, Romera. You've just sat back here and done nothing! There's only room for one of us to be the right hand to Ichirou, third-in-command to our lord and master, and it's not going to be you!"

He turned and disappeared, not seeing the smirk that crossed Romera's face. "Oh, we shall see, Microbis. We shall see."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Miyako, what are you looking at?" Usagi dropped down next to her new ebon-haired friend. "I figured you'd be on your way to training."<p>

Miyako shook her head. "I completely forgot! Oh, well. I don't think could concentrate anyway." She started sliding the stack of photographs back into her book bag. "Why aren't you there? I mean, shouldn't you be there? Or did you just stop by before heading out?"

"I'm not going, either," replied the blonde, shaking her head.

"What?"

"I needed a break, so I decided to stop in here, before I headed home. Resting up is important, too, you know. So, here I am."

"You're rambling, Usagi. Is something bothering you?" Miyako pressed.

"Nope. Not a thing."

Just then, the blonde turned towards the door, as Molly and Melvin walked in. The two of them spotted Usagi and Miyako, making their way over to the pair.

"Hello. It is Usagi, correct?" Melvin demanded, his English coming off very stiff. "We have science class together?"

Slowly, Usagi nodded. "That's right."

"Usagi is a Japanese name, isn't it?" Molly asked, her English flowing, like she'd practiced more than Melvin.

"Yes," replied the blonde, cautiously. "I grew up in Japan. I moved here to live with my cousin."

Molly smiled. "That makes sense. My mother sent me here because of the monster attacks in Tokyo. She felt I'd be safer staying with my father and my older brother."

It took Usagi a few minutes to remember. _That's right. Molly's father was former American military, and, after the divorce, he'd returned to America with Molly's older brother. I don't remember her having a lot of contact with either of the two of them since then, a lot like Amy and her father._

"It must be nice," offered Miyako, "seeing them again."

"And I offered to come with her," added Melvin.

"My knight," giggled Molly. She glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, he's here. Come on, Melvin. We'll practice your English tonight."

The two of them hurried across the café, to where a tall man stood, dark brown hair waving down towards his shoulders. He grinned, catching Molly as she threw herself at him.

A frown crossed the blonde's face. Yes, she'd met Molly's brother a time or two before he'd come to America, but there was something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She could swear she recognized him from somewhere else.

"Huh, so she's Noland's younger sister," muttered the ebon-haired girl. "Kyle said something about that, I think." At Usagi's puzzled look, she explained, "That's Noland Baker, Kyle's friend since high school, when Noland moved here. He's supposed to be coming to join us for Thanksgiving. After all, the Colonel hardly has time for him. Maybe we'll get Molly and Melvin to join us, too. What do you think?"

Usagi shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" But inside she was panicking. How was she supposed to keep her Usagi Moon cover, now? Sooner or later, Molly and Melvin were bound to see through it, weren't they? She'd known them longer than just about anybody, except maybe Darien, Andrew, and Lizzie. And, if Molly and Melvin were in Terrarose, how long before someone else followed? Were the other scouts next? Would Beryl find her way here?

Miyako reached out and touched her arm. "You okay, Usagi?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Reluctantly, Miyako stood up. "Well, I've got to go. I've got volunteer hours at the library, today. I'll see you at school, tomorrow, alright?"

Usagi nodded and her friend left. It wasn't until Miyako was already out the door that she saw it. One of the photographs had fallen under Miyako's chair. She bent down to pick it up. The four raven-haired people in the photograph stared up at her, smiles on their faces. She stared hard at the little boy, a little boy who was so familiar. Then, she recognized him. She'd given him a rose, years ago, only to later spend years antagonizing him. And, then, she'd discovered he was her own prince, he own knight in shining armor. The little boy was Darien! But, who were the others?

She tucked the photo into her pocket. She'd catch up with Darien later and ask him. Maybe even on their run tomorrow morning, before school. She rose, grabbing her book bag, before heading towards her apartment.

* * *

><p>The attack had come shortly after Usagi ahd finished her dinner. Now, she raced towards the park to meet up with the Elemental Warriors. But, there was no sign of the Shitennou. Kyle, she knew, was on patrol on the other side of town, and it would not be easy to escape his partner. Harper was probably dealing with the small supper rush at the café. And who knew with Owen?<p>

She ducked into an alley, henshined, and kept running, but she skidded to a stop as she reached the clearing. "It can't be."

"There is absolutely no way," agreed Sailor Element, coming up behind her.

But there she was, orange jumpsuit and all. Experia, the first of the Anti-Elements that she had faced with Sailor Element. Even without attacking, she could tell Experia had become stronger. Her aura was even darker than it had been before.

"Fossilizing Cage!"

Sailor Earth came charging up, but Experia dodged out of the way.

"Oh, no, no, you'll have to do better than that," cackled the Anti-Element being.

"Aquatic Flood!"

"Molten Inferno!"

But she merely managed to turn the two attacks against each other, even as the other two scouts ran up to join them.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

Again, Experia leapt out of the way.

"Don't think I'm going to fall for that attack, again, you little pest. I'm the new and improved Experia, and I won't be so easy to defeat. My creator, the great Microbis, has seen to that."

"Microbis? Another Anti-Element general? Or is he the one in charge?" Sailor Fire demanded.

Experia laughed. "Soon, you will all bow to our great lord and master, he who wields the power of the Void!"

"Water, Earth, to me!" commanded Sailor Element, holding out her hands.

Sailor Water reached her first, and their powers mingled.

"Majestic Star Healing!"

"Encircling Firestorm!"

Sailor R and Sailor Fire stepped between them and the Anti-Element, determined to keep Experia busy. But she managed to evade the attack from the Star Wand, and the extreme heat of the flames didn't even faze her.

"She's worse than one of Demona's demons!" Sailor Fire yelled.

Looking over her shoulder, Sailor R once again saw Sailor Element replaced by the girl in black and gold. But, when she dropped her hands, the transformation didn't fade away, this time, as she reached for Sailor Earth.

The power she gave to Sailor Water rippled and solidified into a blue whip, like a twelve-foot-long ribbon of ice.

When Sailor Earth stepped away, her own weapon, a pair of sai, clutched in her hands, the black and gold girl disappeared again, and she was Sailor Element, once more. Though, even that didn't last very long. She'd exhausted a great deal of power to give the pair their weapons.

"Piercing Stones!"

Sailor Earth raised her sai, but Experia proved just as agile and acrobatic as before. Small, glowing green stones flew from the sai blades, but only a handful made contact with the creature, but they did little more than cause a few small cuts.

Sailor Water lifted her ribbon whip, spinning it around.

"Frigid Whirlpool!"

A swirling mass of water and ice flowed out from the ribbon whip, and it began encasing Experia. Unfortunately, she managed to break her way free, though she was still covered in frost.

"This isn't over, little ones. I'll be back," cackled Esperia, before she faded away.

"Miyako!" Instantly, all four still henshined scouts were around the ebon-haired girl.

"I'm alright." She struggled to her feet. "Just a little tired, that's all. Think I should probably go home, now." She took a hesitant step forward, stumbling.

Sailor Earth released her hen shin. "Don't worry. I'll get you home. We'll see you all tomorrow."

"Yeah, and you and Miyako can explain why you weren't at training," scowled Lia, shooting a pointed look at Usagi.

The blonde girl shrugged. "None of your concern, Lia. No, if you'll excuse me, I've got to be going."

* * *

><p>Alright, another chapter done. The next one is completely written out, and the one after that is about half-way done, though that one will be a small chapter. I figure about 20 chapters total, for this story in the arc, and then we'll move on to a rewrite of the Black MoonNega Moon arc, Nemesis Secrets.

Yes, I know, another photograph. I seem to love photographs for hiding secrets, don't I? I had one in Warriors of the Stars, and I have one in Harry Potter and the Secret Past, and now I have one here. At least here, it's a series of photographs, though I only had Usagi pick up one.

Anyway, who was surprised by the addition of Molly and Melvin? And, if you don't like Melvin's last name, I'm sorry. I went looking to see what it was, and that was the only one I could remember coming across. If anyone knows what it's really supposed to be, let me know, and I'll come in and change it.

Also, I have a request for you, if your willing to do it. I need a couple of other ideas for henshin items, for later characters, besides the usual wands and the pendants, that sort of thing. Just curious if anyone has any ideas of things I can use.

And, whatever other comments you'd like to give me, go ahead! I'm glad to see everyone enjoying this! And, ha ha on the April Fool's joke for my last review,

Should have had this sooner, but I'm down one computer, and stealing time on my parents' computer? Not as easy as it was when I could borrow my sister's. So, until next time, whenever that is!


	13. Chapter 13: Metal and Air

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

A/N: I should have explained this sooner, but I was still working it out. A lot of what happened back in Tokyo, before Serena left, follows the anime canon. So, Nephlite was Maxfield Stanton, and he met Molly, Melvin played the role of Tuxedo Melvin, etc. After Beryl caught Darien, he only appeared as Tuxedo Mask, whenever he went to attack the girls, or, occasionally, as Prince Endymion, but never as Darien. However, we never reached the point where Serena was able to try and heal him with the Silver Crystal. Instead, she had her breakdown with Pluto and left, since Beryl always pulled him out of the way before she could try. Malachite is still running around, as well. Some of this will affect this story, and some won't. But we'll get back to Tokyo in the fourth story, when I get there! So, read on, please!

Chapter Thirteen: Metal and Air

At long last, the day had arrived, the school field trip to the science museum. Lia bounced slightly in the seat next to Usagi, as the museum cuarator began his presentation. Looking around, Usagi spotted Cleo and Miyako down in the first row, with Isolde only a few chairs away. Harder to ignore was the fact that Molly and Melvin were in the chairs right in front of her. She hadn't really spoken to the two of them, outside of science class.

Usagi tried to focus on the curator, droning on about all of the things in the museum and the importance of science, even in real-life applications, the purpose of many of the exhibits. Honestly, she did try, but it proved harder to do than she had hoped. The hairs on the back of her neck were stiffening, the way they always had in Tokyo, when she'd walked into a Negaverse trap. Glancing around, she caught a glimpse of Miyako's face. Obviously, the ebon-haired girl felt it, too.

Finally, the curator finished his speech, and the students were free to explore the exhibits.

"Do you figure Experia's back?" Miyako was next to Usagi as swiftly as the crowd would allow. "Or is it another one?"

"Not sure. Keep your eyes open. Though, we'll probably have to wait for them to show themselves," muttered Usagi.

Cleo nodded. "Nobody go off on their own. We stay together. Gives us a better shot. And, Miyako, don't transform if you don't have to. You're still pretty drained after last week."

"Alright, Lia, you stick with Usagi and I. Cleo, you tag around with Isolde," ordered Miyako. "But keep your bracelets close."

But, even by the time the group broke for lunch, they still hadn't found anything unusual. Or, at least, nothing that appeared unusual. Not until, as everyone gathered together, in the courtyard outside the museum to eat lunch, and Mr. Handel and Mr. Gafferty, the Terrarose High science teacher, started calling out names of several missing students.

Usagi and the Elemental Warriors gave each other the same look. _How could we have allowed this to happen? How did we miss this?_

"They've got to all be disappearing from the same exhibit, right?" Isolde demanded.

Usagi shook her head. "There's two exhibits. And they're not even close to each other. Bethany and her friends have all disappeared out of the photography exhibit. The guys have all gone into the sports exhibit."

"Great," muttered Lia. "We're going to have to split up, again."

Looking around again, Usagi frowned. The museum was closed to the public, while the schools were there, so getting Darien, Harper, or Kyle to come and help would be almost impossible. But, sitting all by himself, on the other side of the courtyard, was Owen.

_That's right._ she thought. _Owen's a freshman over at Terrarose High. How did I miss him, earlier? Oh, wait. This is Owen, Shitennou of the Shadow. He's good at hiding._

She turned back to the others. "If nothing else, we do have some help, you know." When they all gave her a puzzled look, she nodded towards Owen. "We have one Shitennou here."

Cleo gave a worryingly sly smile. "Alright. Isolde, you and Owen are going to go to the photography exhibit. I'll go with the two of you. Lia, Usagi, and Miyako will head to the sports exhibit. As three champion vollyball players, that won't be very unusual."

"But the blind kid going to the photography exhibit isn't?" Lia demanded.

"Not if we're asking him to be one of the subjects, it's not," explained Isolde, looking up from her pamphlet on the various exhibits. She pointed to the section on the photography exhibit. "See? We can choose classmates to sit as the subjects, while we mess around with various light settings and stuff, to see how it affects the photograph and stuff. So, Owen comes with us to be our subject."

Usagi didn't comment, though she could tell Lia was looking a little put out. Instead, she turned her attention to keeping an eye on Molly. As often as the girl had been a target of Beryl's youma, she wasn't sure how long it would be before one of the Anti-Elements went after her, too. And Melvin, he was going to get drug into it, again, too, just like he was after the whole incident with Nephlite.

And, sure enough, as soon as they were allowed back into the museum, she was sure she saw her two childhood friends heading straight for the sports exhibit. She hurried after them, Miyako and Lia close on her heels.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Isolde approach Owen. The two of them headed into the photography exhibit with Cleo. She could only wish them luck and pray none of them were too late.

She caught up with Molly and Melvin just inside the exhibit. All around them were various pieces of sports equipment, targets, and sensors. Posted beside the curtained opening into the exhibit was the list of various experiments this display had been designed for.

Nothing immediately appeared out of the ordinary, even as Miyako and Lia entered behind her, Lia grumbling something under her breath that Usagi didn't quite catch. But, even if she couldn't see it, she could certainly feel the dark energy. There was definitely something very dark in this place. But where was it coming from?

"Hey, Usagi, Miyako, and Lia, right?" Melvin demanded. "What brings the three of you in here?"

Suddenly suspicious, Usagi stared hard at her childhood friends. But, no, the darkness wasn't coming off of them.

"We heard a lot of people who were coming in here weren't coming back out," admitted Lia, cautiously. "We figured we'd come and take a look."

"So did we," agreed Molly.

Miyako kept glancing around the displays, moving closer to Usagi. "You feel it? It's stronger here. Stronger than I've ever felt before."

"I know," whispered Usagi. "I just can't pin it down. We need to get the two of them out of here."

A cackling laugh echoed around the exhibit. The curtain that blocked it off from the main part of the museum shimmered.

Melvin reached out towards it, receiving a powerful shock as his fingertips came into contact with the fabric.

"Well, hello there. What do we have here? Such powerful little things. Perfect for feeding the Void," called Experia, dropping down from the ceiling. "Not like those pathetic things that kept coming in here, before."

Molly drew back, and Melvin moved to try and stand in front of her. But Experia only laughed. She leapt over the whole group to grab Molly, wrapping one slender hand around Molly's chin, lifting her off the floor.

"Such energy. The Void will be pleased with her," laughed Experia.

Without warning, Melvin charged at the Anti-Element, the first to take her off guard since her return. She was forced to drop Molly in order to send Melvin flying to the other end of the exhibit. The boy struggled to try and get to his feet, but a black boot descended out of nowhere to pin him to the ground, the heel on his chest. The rest of the person emerged, standing next to the struggling boy. A black lab coat billowed around him, revealing black pants and a high-necked black shirt. White hair flew in all directions around his head.

"Well, Experia, what have we here?" He asked, a sly grin crossing his face.

Experia smiled. "Lots of energy to feed the Void, Master Microbis."

"So that's Microbis?" Lia hissed. "What's he supposed to be? An evil scientist?"

"Our lord will be pleased, when we have removed these pests," declared Microbis, moving his foot so he could give Melvin a kick. "Let us begin."

Looking at Melvin, who was still struggling to stand back up, and at Molly, who still lay crumpled where Experia had dropped her, only fueled the anger already coursing through Usagi. She had had enough of whatever evil villain was around picking on Molly and Melvin. They'd come here to get away from that!

But, then, Melvin did manage to make it to his feet. And, again, he charged, but this time at Microbis, slamming into the black-clad scientist. Microbis backhanded him, and Melvin rolled away. Probably the most surprising thing of all, though, was the smile on Melvin's face as he stood back up, from his crouch.

"Loose something, Microbis?" He lifted his two clentched fists.

The Anti-Element general flung aside part of his lab coat, revealing two empty loops dangling from his belt, one much smaller than the other.

Melvin opened his right hand, revealing a pair of copper-rimmed sunglasses.

"Looking for these?"

Microbis growled. "Experia, get those glasses!"

But, before Experia could move, Melvin removed his thick-lensed glasses, replacing them wtih the copper-rimmed shades.

"Soul of Metal!"

"No!" Microbis yelled.

A blaze of coppery light (though it might have been more bronze-ish. Usagi wasn't sure), enveloped Melvin. When it faded, the sunglasses were gone, and, in Melvin's place, stood a young man in copper chain mail, a bronze-colored surcoat wrapped around him. Brown leather boots rose to his knees, the chain mail falling down inside the cuffs.

Brown eyes, with bright copper flakes, stared out at Microbis. The brown hair was still as messy as ever, but, without the glasses, Usagi doubted anyone would be able to recognize him as Melvin at all, even without the glamor she knew was there.

"I bet you weren't expecting Knight Metal, were you, Microbis?" The coppery warrior demanded. "You weren't thinking you and your master would suceed, were you? Because, obviously, that's not going to happen."

"Umino," hissed Microbis, "the Alchemist's apprentice."

Knight Metal grinned, before lifting his hands.

"Metallic Storm!"

With a thunderous crash, shards of metal flew from Knight Metal's hands, towards Microbis.

Experia leapt in front of her master, lifting them bout out of the way.

"Too cowardly to stand and fight, Microbis?" Knight Metal demanded.

Glancing over to see that Molly was still unconscious, Usagi nodded to Miyako.

"Royal Star Power!"

"Soul of the Elements!"

"Soul of Fire!"

"We can't let you have all the fun," declared Sailor Fire, as her henshin flames died away.

Knight Metal nodded. "Keep them busy for a few, would you?"

Without waiting for a response, he hurried over to Molly. From out of what must have been a sub-space pocket of some kind, he pulled a small, black leather pouch, the other object he must have taken from Microbis. Upending it, he drew out a pendant, a small grey cloud on a delicate silver chain. Carefully, he placed it in Molly's hand.

"Time to wake up," he said, reaching out and lightly slapping the side of her face.

Slowly, Molly's eyes blinked open. She stared at Knight Metal's face in confusion. He merely motioned to the pendant in her hand. It seemed to start glittering as she lifted it up. With Knight Metal's help, she rose to her feet.

"Soul of Air!"

In a swirl of wind and yellow light, Molly was now dressed like the other female Elemental Warriors, from the pale yellow bands around her knee-high goldenrod boots, to the mustard skirt and sailor collar. Even the bow in her hair was now a pale yellow, instead of it's usual aquamarine.

"Time to learn why you don't mess with Sailor Air!" She exclaimed.

"Aerial Illusions!"

Suddenly, there were several Sailors Element, Fire, R, and Air, and several Knight Metals, all filling the exhibit.

"Nice!" The Sailor Fires chorused.

Microbis growled. "I don't have time to play with you!" He lifted a vial of black ooze from the sleeve of his lab coat. "Deal with this!"

The vial smashed against the floor. The ooze grew until it created a familiar, ooze-like monster.

"Haven't we battled enough of these?" Sailor Element complained. "Can't you think of something original?"

But Microbis and Experia were already gone.

"Molten Inferno!"

"Regal Star Magic!"

"Metallic Storm!"

The three attacks slammed into the monster, who stumbled, even before it could completely finish forming.

Sailor Element lifted her hand, and the others dropped out of the way.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

The violet energy blast was almost invisible, now, surrounded by the streams of fire, water, and earth, now joined by metal and the yellow dust-filled stream of air.

The monster collapsed, instantly.

Sailor Element turned to see Sailors Water and Earth standing just behind her, while the young Shitennou of Shadow still watched from the rafters.

"There wasn't anything over at the other exhibit," explained Sailor Earth. "They found all of the girls hiding out in the bathroom next to it."

"But, someone else was watching," added the black-haired boy, solemnly. "I could feel her."

"You're sure it was a her?" Sailor Element demanded.

He nodded. "Positive. We'd better get out of here. The boys back behind the exhibit will be waking, soon. Besides, Mr. Handel and Mr. Gafferty were both heading over here."

The Elemental Warriors nodded, following the young Shitennou's example and moving up into the steel beam rafters.

"Split up, and we'll meet at Melanthios Books and Cafe after dismissal," ordered Sailor Element.

Sailor R smiled. "Hey, you're getting better at that." At the ebon-haired girl's puzzled look, she explained. "Better at giving orders, at being in charge."

The others nodded, before heading off in different directions, dropping into empty exhibits before releasing their henshins.

Though, as they headed off, Usagi could have sworn she heard Lia mutter, "Now, if only people would get it through their heads that I'm supposed to be her second-in-command!"

* * *

><p>When they reached Melanthios, a few hours later, Owen motioned them to follow him to the back door and up the carpet-covered steps, to the apartment overhead.<p>

"Make yourselves at home," he offered, nodding to the collection of chairs and the sofa that filled the main room.

Melvin and Molly quickly claimed the sofa, while Cleo and Lia made sure they were sitting on either side of Miyako. Isolde gracefully sank down to sit on the floor in front of the trio.

Usagi, however, moved to stare out the glass doors to a raised deck (it was too big to properly be called a balcony), which covered msot of the back yard, behind the converted house.

"So, what happened at the museum, Melvin?" Cleo demanded.

He shrugged. "When I saw those sunglasses on Microbis's belt, something inside me clicked into place. Those were supposed to be mine. So, I had to get them back. And, something told me the pouch was important, too. But, after I transformed, it was like someone else took over, just for a little bit, and then he was gone. Like, he'd done what he came to do, and so he could leave. If that made any sense."

The others nodded, except Usagi. She continued to stare out the sliding doors, but she wasn't really seeing anything. All this time, Molly and Melvin were targeted because they were Elemental Warriors. And now, they were fighting side by side, and she still couldn't tell them the whole truth.

"Usagi, are you alright?" Miyako inquired, noticing the blonde's distraction.

Startled, she turned back to the group. "Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just thinking. How many more generals are there? And how many more Elemental Warriors?"

Midnight blue eyes narrowed in concentration. Miyako struggled to remember the scene from her first encounter with Experia. They'd all been kneeling before her, yellow, copper, green, black, red, blue, and brown.

"Two," she said, suddenly. "There are two more Elemental Warriors. Aethyr and... Wood. Aethyr and Wood. Then, we'll all be together, at last."

* * *

><p>So, that's chapter thirteen. Chapter fourteen's written, and I'm already working on fifteen. We'll get a few questions answered in the next chapter, including more of how Darien managed to escape from Beryl, and we'll find out more about those photos that Miyako found. And, guess what, it's time for Thanksgiving! Or, at least, it is for Usagi, Miyako, and crew!<p>

So, was anyone really surprised when I made Molly and Melvin Elemental Warriors? The idea had been running in my head since I started this, I was just working on the best time to bring them in. Though, most people make Molly into Sailor Earth/Sailor Terra, I thought, maybe something different this time. Though, it still explains why everyone likes to attack Molly, doesn't it?

I'm still looking for ideas for transformation/henshin items, if anyone has any ideas. It's not for this story, but it is for later in the saga. I'm trying to figure out a few others who will be showing up, eventually. I'm just stumped on what to use for their henshin items, since I'm not sure I want to use the traditional wand or the amulets I've been using here.

Also, I'm slightly disappointed. On my last two chapters, I only got one review for each chapter. Chapter ten at least had four. So, I've decided, even though all I have to do is type up chapter fourteen, you won't get it until I get at least four reviews for chapter thirteen. There you go! See you later!


	14. Chapter 14: Time to Give Thanks

Surprise! I said I was waiting for four reviews, but I decided against that. You can thank another fanfic author who got back to me about one of her stories, which really keyed me up to post this for you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

A/N: To anonymous reviewer Alex – Miyako has a broach, like the one Serena/Usagi has as Sailor Moon, though with a rose in the middle, instead of the moon, and with more gems around the outside. But, yes, the other Elemental _Scouts_ have pendants, Isolde (Water) has a raindrop, Cleo (Earth) has an Egyptian ankh, Lia (Fire) has a flame, and Molly (Air) has a cloud. Melvin (Metal) does not have a pendant, because he has his sunglasses, instead (He's not a scout). Hope that clears it up for you.

Chapter Fourteen: Time to Give Thanks

Miyako and Usagi both let out a cheer as they left Firerose Academy.

"I just love early dismissals, don't you?" The ebon-haired girl flashed a smile, walking backwards so she could face her friends. "Hey, want to detour downtown? Bet everything's almost all set up."

Molly blinked. "Almost all set up? For what?"

"Noland didn't tell you?" Cleo, Lia, and Miyako chorused.

"Tell us what?" Melvin said, frowning.

"The annual Terrarose Snowflake Festival," explained Usagi. "It begins the first day of December, and the whole town turns out to celebrate. And, apparently, it runs until the end of December. This will be my first year to see it, too."

"And downtown should just about be ready," added Cleo.

Molly looked at Melvin, grinning. "Let's go!"

As the group passed the edge of the downtown section of Terrarose, Molly's jaw dropped. Everything was covered in silver, white, and pale, icy blue. Giant snowflakes covered the fronts of several downtown businesses. Here and there were glimmering sparks of lavender and smoky grey. Dark blue and black accented several displays. And glitter! Everywhere they looked, something was covered in glitter! Sprinkled among the snowflake decorations were stars that, when lit, would surely shine like beacons.

"And, they're setting up the skating rink in the park," added Lia. "There'll be open skating during the day, and there'll be ice skating shows and competitions. Plus, Isolde will be taking part in Madam Claire's Dance Studio's performances, too."

"And there's games to play, and, it we're lucky, we'll get a chance to go to the Winter Carnival. They'll have rides and everything! Plus, all the businesses have contests and sales, and free give-aways," continued Cleo.

Miyako nodded. "Everyone looks forward to the Snowflake Festival. Oh, and then there's the Snowflake Ball. You can't actualy go to the Snowflake Ball until you're in high school, so the three of us have never been. Kyle and Noland went, once, and so did Isolde's older brother, Zander, but the three of them said they didn't really care for it. But, then, three of them aren't big on socialization, for the most part."

Usagi sighed. "A Snowflake Ball. Wouldn't that be wonderful? I'd feel so much like Cinderella, walking into something like that."

Molly giggled. "You know, sometimes you remind me a lot of a friend of mine. Serena is always wanting to be like Cinderella."

Only Miyako seemed to notice Usagi freeze and slightly pale. But the blonde girl quickly shook it off.

"Come on. We don't have any homework, because of break, and the weather's so wonderful. Why don't we take the day off?" Usagi offered. "You know, go to Melanthios, have some lunch, maybe some cheesecake. Hey, maybe we could even do a little shopping or something." She ignored the slight shudder Melvin gave at the word 'shopping.'

Cleo shook her head. "Miyako and I have to finish getting everything set up for tomorrow, at our place."

"And we've got family arriving today," sighed Lia, mournfully. "I have to be there to greet them. Parental orders."

"And Isolde's got rehearsal, anyway," stated Miyako.

Usagi's shoulders drooped.

"Hey, Melvin and I don't have anything to do," offered Molly. "Maybe we could do a little exploring. You know, go see the sights of Terrarose."

The blonde's smile brightened. "That'd be great. Trista's got some business to take care of, and I really didn't want to go back to an empty apartment, today."

"Hey, we'll see you all tomorrow. Well, except for Lia," commented the ebon-haired girl. "You and Trista are still coming, right?"

Usagi nodded. "Gorge fest, here we come."

Molly and Melvin both laughed.

* * *

><p>It had actually been great, walking around Terrarose with Molly and Melvin. Not surprisingly, Molly had asked to stop into the few jewelry stores that Terrarose boasted. She had mentioned how much she missed visiting her mother's jewelry store, Osa-P, in Tokyo.<p>

They had managed, for Melvin's sake, not to do too much shopping. And they'd visited the Terrarose Observatory, where they had also been preparing for the Snowflake Festival. A couple of the astronomers had called out to them and had given Molly messages to pass along to her brother.

"He's usually really busy," explained Molly. "Between both of his jobs and his classes at Terrarose Community College, I almost never see him. And Dad's absolutely never home. But, that I don't mind so much. Dad's pretty strict, which is a change from Mama, who's really laid back at home. I think she just got a little freaked over all the monster attacks. I mean, now I can take care of myself, and the Senshi always saved me, before."

It had been a reminder of what life had been like, before she'd been forced to become Sailor Moon, when she'd had the freedom to just hang out and relax, to just be herself. Though, she'd tried hard not to be too much herself, and make Molly and Melvin suspicious. Bad enough she was already reminding Molly of herself.

She could only hope that Microbis and Experia would keep quiet until after Thanksgiving had passed. Though, she had a feeling that was just wishful thinking.

She'd bade the two farewell at the steps of the brick house where the Bakers lived. It was only a few, short blocks to the front door of her apartment building. She'd almost managed to make it to the front door of her apartment, her key already in her hand.

"I hate these stupid flowers!" A woman yelled. Usagi immediately recognized her as the woman in the apartment next door. "How could you have gotten me such stupid flowers?"

Her husband shouted, "But chrysanthemums have always been your favorite flower. I thought you'd like them. They're from that new flower shop, downtown."

"Oh, and I suppose you flirted with the clerk while you were there?"

Usagi froze. She could feel the negative energy, which seemed to be coming from the vase of flowers she could spy through the slightly open door.

_A new flower shop downtown? Very suspicious. But, I can't call Cleo, Miyako, or Lia. _She checked the clock. _Isolde's done with practice. And I can get Molly and Melvin._

She reached out and grabbed her new cell phone from her pocket. She pressed 2 on her speed dial, lifting the phone to her ear, before grasping the water drop on her charm bracelet to call Isolde.

"Hey, Darien," she said, as soon as he picked up. "We've got trouble at the new flower shop downtown. Cleo, Miyako, and Lia can't make it, and I'm sure Kyle can't either. If Harper or Owen can get away..."

_"We'll be there,_"he said. _"I promise."_

The phone went dead as he hung up. Usagi slid it back into her pocket, and she squeezed the cloud charm on her bracelet. She'd been relived when Miyako had told her there were only two more left. The bracelets were getting rather crowded. There had also been some quick finagling, because Melvin couldn't be seen wearing a charm bracelet. The poor guy would get teased enough as it was. So, instead, the charms all dangled off of a key ring he kept in his pocket. Two extra charms were given to everyone, a tree, for Wood, and a pocket-watch, for Aethyr, both of whom had yet to come. The charms' designs had been Miyako's decision.

She could only pray Molly, Melvin, and Isolde got her call.

Turning, she ducked into a deserted, narrow alleyway.

"Regal Star Power!"

The henshin felt a little slower, and she could tell she wasn't as strong, tonight. She was running out of time, and she still hadn't figured out what the bond was that she had to repair. It couldn't be returning to Tokyo and her senshi. She wasn't ready to face them again, just yet. And there really wasn't any other bond that had weakened, was there?

She pushed the thought out of her mind. Right now, she had work to do.

* * *

><p>She arrived, just as Sailor Air and Knight Metal did, the two of them looking slightly confused.<p>

"They're targeting people through the new flower shop," explained Sailor R. "We need to close it down before anyone else gets hurt."

Sailor Water came running up. "Let's do this. I just hope we can take down whatever it is without Sailor Element."

The four of them entered through an open window at the back of the flower shop. Or, rather, a window that had been opened when Knight Metal had manipulated the metal window frame.

"There aren't any flowers back here," whispered Sailor Water. "No sign at all that this is a flower shop."

Knight Metal nodded. "Maybe we should call the others. There's a lot of dark energy here. I can feel it."

"There's now way Fire can get away right now. And, if Earth and Element could be here, they'd be here." Sailor R stated, not wanting to mention she hadn't even tried contacting Earth and Element. "Besides, we do have help coming. Now, let's find that Anti-Element, and fast."

The others nodded, following her as she moved towards the front of the store, keeping out of view of any potential customers.

Peering over the top of a section of chrysanthemums, Sailor R scanned the rest of the front of the shop.

A young woman, with long, mousy brown hair, dressed in a long, pale pink dress and a white bib apron, was handing a bunch of lilies to a young man Sailor R didn't recognize.

"These are bound to help you win her heart," the woman simpered.

The scouts and knight waited as the unknown victim left, not wanting him to get caught in the crossfire. As he left, three more people walked in, and Sailor R gave a slight smile. Harper stood at the front of the group, Owen just behind him, one hand on Vista's harness. And, at the back, Darien flipped the sign to closed and locked the door.

"Well, three such handsome young man. Surely you three must have sweethearts who'd love one of my bouquets." The woman's smile broadened.

"Drop the act," growled Harper. "We know what you are. I could feel your dark energy all the way down at the other end of the block, Anti-Element."

Her smile instantly faded, and she lobbed a heart-shaped blob of energy at Harper. As it sped towards him, it started cracking in half.

Owen shoved his brother out of the way, the attack barely clipping the young boy. But, even across the store, Sailor R could see tears forming in his eyes.

"So, you draw your power from broken hearts," gasped out Owen, struggling to his feet. "You're bouquets are designed to tear people apart."

"Of course," the woman shrugged.

Her mousy brown hair rippled, turning a reddish pink, and silver barrettes with cracked hearts appeared to hold the hair out of her face. Her long outfit shimmered to be replaced by a short, red one, covered in broken, pink hearts.

"I am Romera, she who feasts on broken hearts. And I give all that energy to my great master, he who controls the Void, itself."

Owen and Harper lifted their right hands, their rings flashing. Instantly, they were replaced by Onyx and Heliotrope, capes billowing around them.

Taking advantage of Romera's distraction, Sailor R nodded to her companions.

"Metallic Storm!"

"Frigid Whirlpool!"

Knight Metal's shards of various metals flew at her, as Sailor R spun her icy ribbon, sending it's power at Romera.

Sailor R raised her wand, even as Romera recovered from the attacks of her comrades.

"Really, that was rather rude, attacking without letting me know you were there," admonished Romera. "I'll just have to teach you a lesson."

"Aerial Illusions!"

This time, instead of creating various copies of the warriors, a misty fog seemed to shroud Romera's head, as if trapping her within some kind of illusion. She was moving around objects that weren't even there and running into ones that were.

Then, out of nowhere, it seemed, a slippery liquid spread across the floor, sending Romera sliding, just as she managed to dispell the illusion. Darien stood at the other end of the store, a couple bottles of liquid soap in his hands.

Romera shrieked and moved towards him, but Sailor R leapt in the way, taking the brunt of Romera's attack. Darien gathered her close, checking for her pulse, as the blonde scout had fallen, unconscious.

Heliotrope lifted his hand, a seven-foot scythe appearing before him. He spun it towards Romera, who vanished before the blade could touch her.

"Usagi?" Darien whispered, stroking the side of her face. "Usagi, can you hear me?"

The blonde's henshin rippled and died, leaving only Usagi Moon behind, looking even paler than before.

Darien pulled his hand back, abruptly, before putting it back on her forehead. "She's burning up," he explained. "Come on, we've got to get her back to her apartment."

Heliotrope nodded, bending down to pick her up. "The rest of you, go on home. We'll see you tomorrow, at Thanksgiving dinner. You, too, Owen."

Onyx nodded, releasing his henshin. He waved a hand, and two shadowy figures appeared next to him. "In case anyone's watching. The rest of you go out the back."

The figures seemed to solidify to resemble Darien and Harper, and they followed Owen and Vista as the boy unlocked the door and disappeared down the street.

Darien relocked the door behind the boy, as the interior of the store emptied, the enchanted flowers disappearing, back to wherever they had come from.

At the back door, Sailor Water nodded to Heliotrope and Darien, before she led Sailor Air and Knight Metal away, into the darkening evening.

"You'll be staying with her, again?" Heliotrope demanded, as they left the former flower shop.

Darien nodded. "Pluto may or may not be there, and I don't want to leave Serena alone. Not when she's sick, like this."

"Serena? As in Princess Serenity's reincarnation?"

The reincarnated prince grimaced. "I forgot, I hadn't told the three of you yet. It's complicated. Her Inner Senshi turned on her, so Pluto brought her back a few months, and to Terrarose, to help her cope. It's actually pretty hard not to call her Serena, especially around other people."

"Understandable," replied his Shitennou.

The general of the Underworld nodded towards the apartment's front entrance. "I'll meet you upstairs."

Darien nodded, pointing to the balcony he knew to belong to Usagi Moon's apartment. The moon and star-shaped glow-in-the-dark stickers on the window to her room helped.

Heliotrope leapt up to the balcony as Darien hurried up the stairs, inside, taking them two at a time. Finding the door already unlocked, he entered cautiously, finding Trista Meioh in the living room, sitting next to the unconscious Moon Princess, who was resting on the couch.

"She's loosing energy," stated Trista, looking up as he approached.

Harper nodded, leaning against the back of the couch. "If she continues to be Sailor R, she won't live much longer. Something is preventing her energy from completely recharging. The fever should pass by morning, provided she doesn't do anything else that might drain her."

"I must return to the Time Gate, if I am to make it for the dinner tomorrow," added Trista, rising reluctantly.

Darien moved towards the couch. "I'll stay with her. Though, I figure she might be more comfortable in her room."

The Time Guardian nodded, moving towards the kitchen.

"I should be leaving, as well. I must check on Owen," muttered Harper, hurrying towards the glass doors.

He ignored the look his prince gave him, and he struggled to avoid looking in the direction of the kitchen. He resumed his form as Heliotrope, vanishing into the night.

Darien bent down, picking up his love, and carrying her back into her bedroom. He drew her curtains all the way back, hoping the light of the moon, nearing it's fullest, might be able to help her. He sank down next to the bed, leaning back, so that her hand actually rested next to his head. Drawing up one knee, he turned and kissed her hand, before letting his eyes drift closed.

From the doorway, Trista smiled at the two of them, before casting a longing look out the glass doors, where Heliotrope had vanished. She sighed, her Time Staff appearing in her hand, and she transported herself back to the Time Gate.

* * *

><p>The morning rays of the sun woke Usagi. Slowly, she sat up, feeling slightly disoriented. She remembered leaping in front of Darien, taking Romera's attack instead of him. But, after that, nothing. But, somehow, she was back in her room at the apartment. Struggling slightly, she managed to sit up, to find Darien, sleeping on the floor by her bed. It looked like he'd originally been sitting against the bed, but, sometime during the night, he'd fallen over, so that he lay in a very uncomfortable position on the floor.<p>

She had, however, learned something from Romera's attack, last night. It was last night, wasn't it? Somehow, her bond to Darien wasn't as strong as it should have been. Romera's attack had almost snapped it apart. That had to have been the bond the stranger had been talking about. Her bond to Darien. After all, Darien was her whole world. If she lost him, she'd have lost everything. But, why had their bond weakened so much? And then, it hit her. Part of it had to do with the dark energy Beryl had used on him. But, the other part was her own fault. She'd pulled the bond back, in Tokyo, in order to protect herself from Beryl's dark energy, subconsciously though it had been. However, now that he was free of it, she still hung back, unwilling to complete the reforging of their bond, a bond still weakened in their reincarnation, from their attitudes towards each other, before she became Sailor Moon and he Tuxedo Mask.

Now, all she had to do was reach out and reforge their bond, before it was too late. And she knew exactly how to do that.

Carefully, she managed to ease her way out of bed and step over Darien. She dropped her hair out of it's single bun, with a sigh of relief, putting it back into it's more comfortable two buns. She moved into the apartment's kitchen, and she began pulling out the ingredients to make pancakes. They weren't eating Thanksgiving dinner at the Lambert house until 2, so she figured she might as well get a good breakfast. Besides, she was starving!

Right on it's scheduled time, the coffee pot behind her started brewing. Normally, she wasn't a big fan of coffee, herself. And she certainly couldn't drink it black, the way Darien could. She preferred the flavored lattes and cappuccinos she got at Melanthios to straight coffee. But, if she put in enough flavored, liquid creamer, she could drink regular coffee. And, she had to admit, the added caffeine boost was coming in handy, right now.

The smell of the coffee, however, appeared to have woken Darien.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "Becoming Sailor R is killing you, isn't it?"

She shook her head. "Not entirely the reason I collapsed last night, and the reason my energy's been so depleted. Go ahead and sit down, and I'll try to explain. But, in return, you've got to explain why you didn't henshin at the flower shop, and what's been bothering you. Deal?"

Darien nodded, taking one of the chairs at the small table in the kitchen. She joined him, handing him a mug of black coffee and setting the stack of pancakes between them. Carefully, she took a sip of her mug of half coffee, half liquid caramel creamer.

"Shortly after I arrived in Terrarose, I came across a young girl being attacked by one of the blob-like Anti-Elements' monsters in the park," she began. She went on to explain her first encounter with the strange blonde man, as well as her second encounter with him, later, eating bites of pancake every so often. "And, he said, the power I need is within me, if I can reforge the bond that was weakening. Last night, I found out what bond that is." At Darien's expectant look, she set down her fork, reaching across the table to grab his hand. A trickle of Moon power flowed down her arm and into his hand. "Somehow, our bond is weakening. Romera's attack, last night, it almost destroyed it."

Darien's hand tightened on hers, as he felt an echoing strand of power come from within him, reaching out to her. "Then we'll find a way to build it back up. I promised. I don't doubt Beryl had something to do with weakening it, before we came here."

"And what about you?" Serena demanded, rising and leading him from the kitchen, back into the living room, to the couch. "Why didn't you henshin last night?"

"I can't," he admitted, not looking at her as he sat on the couch, Serena curling up next to him. "When Beryl took me and brainwashed me, it only took hold while I was Tuxedo Mask, or if I assumed my armor as Endymion. I think, somehow, my identity as Darien was shielded, either by you, or by my past self. When I was reunited with Heliotrope, Onyx, and Kunzite, her hold on Endymion vanished, no doubt due to my bonds with them. But, then again, her hold on Endymion was the weaker hold. Still, my henshin rose remains poisoned by her darkness. And I can't ask you to purify it. You can't risk Beryl detecting the power of the Silver Crystal."

"And you can't hold Endymion very long," murmured Serena.

"And, without Tuxedo Mask, I'm completely useless. I can't fight, I can't protect you. I can't..."

"Don't say that! Don't you dare say that!" Serena shrieked at him, drawing back.

He lifted his head to look at her. Tears poured freely down her cheeks. She stared hard at him, angrier than he had ever seen her, even when he teased her at the Crown, or when Beryl's youma attacked.

"But I am," he muttered.

"No, you're not!" She protested. "You give me the strength to fight! I was a mess after Beryl took you, because I couldn't bring myself to fight. I didn't have you there to tell me I could do it, that I could be a good scout, that I could defeat the monster, defeat Beryl. _I_ need you, Darien. Whether you have powers or not. I need to know you're there, that you believe in me." The tears kept coming, but she was ignoring them, letting them fall. "Right now, I can't purify the rose. I can't use the Silver Crystal without Beryl finding me, either, but I will purify it as soon as I can. Or, we can talk to Sailor Fire. She has the ability to purify objects." She took a few steadying breaths, as he pulled her close, stroking her hair. "Besides, we need someone in a civilian role. We need someone who can cover for us with parents and school, and so on. We need someone with training to help with injuries after the battles. We need your help, Darien, help that doesn't require any superpowers. Besides, you have one of the greatest powers of all." She reached out and rested one hand over his heart. "You have the greatest power of all, right here. A kind, loving heart, the power that Beryl and others like her can never understand."

She allowed herself to settle deeper into his embrace, feeling his lips on her forehead, before she looked up, meeting his gaze, and he kissed her, the way he hadn't since the day after the Halloween party at Melanthios.

-8-

Some time later, Serena slowly lifted her head from Darien's shoulder, to glance at the clock.

"Oh, no! We're going to be late! It's after noon, already, and I promised Cleo and Miyako I'd be over there by 12:30, with a Jell-O salad!" She leapt to her feet, running into the kitchen. Flinging open the door to the refrigerator, she moved several things around, before pulling out a large bowl, filled with red Jell-O, with pieces of diced fruit suspended in the gelatin. She set it on the table, before turning back around and looking down at her clothes.

"And I still have to change!" Serena wailed. "Oh, this is just great!"

Darien laughed. "And there's my Serena. I was wondering where you'd hidden her, Meatball Head."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll meet you at the Lamberts' in about an hour, alright? Besides, you have to go back to Melanthios and change, anyway, don't you? Oh, and after Thanksgiving, when I get a chance to talk to Lia, we'll see if she can't purify your henshin rose."

She was practically shoving Darien out the door when he turned around and caught her in his arms. He bent down and kissed her again. As he did, she could feel her power rising in her, filling her back up, until she felt almost whole again. He smiled down at her, before releasing her.

"I'll see you in about an hour, my princess." He said, backing up and giving a bow, before he left.

She sighed, leaning back to close the door, before she remembered what she still had to do. She ran towards her room. "What do I wear? Where's V-chan when I really need her help?"

* * *

><p>Fifteen agonizing minutes later, she finished pinning up her hair into the single bun, with it's shorter ponytail. Smoothing the sides of her knee-length, pale pink cotton skirt and checking that the cowl neck of her sparkly white, light weight sweater was in place, she stepped into the pair of ankle-high white boots she'd picked up yesterday, out shopping with Molly.<p>

When Usagi walked back into the kitchen, she found Trista waiting for her, dressed a little more casually than her normal lavender suit. Instead, the Time Guardian had chosen a pair of tight-fitting black jeans and a short sweater dress in a deep burgandy, belted with a silver-studded black leather belt.

"Ready to go, Usagi?" Trista inquired.

She nodded. "Just let me grab the Jell-O salad and my purse."

The two of them walked downstairs, Usagi carefully cradling the large bowl. Despite the fact that the Lambert house was only about half an hour's walk away, Trista led her over to a small, silver sedan.

"You actually have a car?" Usagi demanded.

Trista smiled. "Yes, but you can't drive it. You have to be fifteen, first, since you're close enough to the school."

"But, can you at least teach me how to drive?"

"After your fifteenth birthday, perhaps," promised the Time Guardian. "Now, as I understand it, we're already running late."

* * *

><p>Cleo greeted them at the front door, dressed much the same way Trista was, in jeans and a sweater dress, though the Earth scout had chosen blue jeans and a cream-colored dress, with a brown belt. Her ankh necklace sparkled just below the collar of her sweater.<p>

Molly and Melvin weren't far behind, with Molly's older brother, Noland, who was carrying two covered pie dishes. Miyako emerged from the kitchen, claiming both dishes from Noland, and motioning Usagi to follow her.

"Just put that wherever you can find room," she was told, as the ebon-haired girl set down the two pie dishes. "Isolde's bringing green bean casserole and something called scalloped corn. Turkey's already in. Noland gave me specific instructions on how to do it, though I'll have him check it, shortly. And, he's going to make the rolls, and the gravy, once the turkey's done. And Harper's bringing stuffing, cranberry sauce, and he said something about mashed potatoes." Miyako ticked everything off on her fingers as she kept talking.

Usagi scanned the long counter between the kitchen and the dining room. She carefully set the bowl of Jell-O salad next to the two pie dishes.

"Kyle will probably pull all the guys downstairs, after we eat, to watch the game on his big screen," continued Miyako. "So, we girls are on our own, up here. So, whatever we want to do."

Usagi frowned at the idea of Melvin watching a football game. It just didn't seem like his kind of thing. But, then again, it probably wasn't Owen's thing, either, and he'd get pulled down there with the rest.

"So, everything's under control in here. Why don't you go back to the living room and relax?" The ebon-haired girl smiled.

Returning the smile, the blonde girl walked back to the living room. Kyle, evidently banned from the kitchen after last year's fiasco, lounged on the couch. Noland had claimed an armchair next to him, and the two older men were explaining football to Melvin, who was looking a little confused.

Trista leaned against a nearby wall, shaking her head, while Molly hung back, not sure whether to jump in and help Melvin or not. Usagi solved her problem by walking over and leading her to another couch.

"How do you like Terrarose so far? Aside from the fact that there are monsters here, like in Tokyo?" The blonde's grin widened.

Isolde showed up a short while later, looking a little frazzled, with Harper, Owen, and Darien, the eldest Melanthios having offered his part-time employee a ride. Each of them carried a container of some kind of food. Isolde was carefully juggling two long, shallow pans, and a third, deeper pan, which thankfully stacked up nicely, with their lids.

"Hey, Darien!" Usagi called him over, after they'd detoured to drop off the food. Isolde had drug Molly off to Cleo's room, the other girl following, calling out something about the upcoming Snowflake Festival and something else that Usagi didn't quite catch.

Hesitantly, Usagi reached into the small white purse she'd brought with her. She pulled out the photo Miyako had dropped, several days back, and she handed it over to him.

For several moments, Darien just stared at the photo. "Where did you get this?"

"Miyako had it. She dropped it, and I picked it up. I recognized you, though. I thought, maybe, you'd know who the others are."

Kyle approached them, even as she finished talking. "It's hopeless, trying to explain football to that kid. Noland's holding out a hope, figuring watching an actual game'll help."

"Kyle," said Darien, slowly, "what do you know about this?" He held out the photograph.

Silver grey eyes widened. "I'd forgotten all about them. You know my parents, Cleo, and I used to live in Japan. Dad was stationed at the American Embassy. Miyako's birth parents were killed in a car accident. She was only about two or three, I can't really remember. She escaped without a scratch. Her older brother," he tapped the figure Usagi had recognized as Darien, "ended up with amnesia. My parents wanted to adopt both of them. My mom had somehow met and befriended their mom while we were there, but, Miyako's dad's family refused to let my parents adopt her older brother. Something about needing him to inherit the family connections and some other business jargon my parents didn't really understand. But, his family didn't care what happened to Miyako, so Mom and Dad adopted her. They tried to keep in contact with her brother, but his dad's family cut her brother off from everybody. It devastated Miyako, loosing him, too, so we didn't talk about them. Mom boxed everything up but Miyako's stuffed horse, since she refused to give it up, and Mom hid everything away."

"So, that explains why it was far back, next to her hope chest," stated Miyako, startling all three of them. "I wondered who they were."

"Your last name, before you were adopted, it was Shields, wasn't it?" Usagi demanded, slowly, looking back and forth between Miyako and Darien, seeing the resemblances she'd ignored before.

Just as slowly, the ebon-haired girl nodded.

"Well, Fate's always been a funny thing," laughed Darien. "Especially in this lifetime. I always had vague memories, from after the car accident, with a little girl begging me to remember her. But, everyone always denied her existence."

"But you have proof now," grinned Usagi.

He nodded. "Hey, I actually have family, now!"

Miyako looked at him, blinked, and then threw her arms around him. "Of course you do!" She pulled back, wiping her suddenly teary eyes. "Two older brothers! This is going to be interesting."

Kyle started laughing, too. No one seemed to notice the odd look that crossed Harper's face at the happy family reunion.

Of course, Noland had to interrupt it, when he walked into the room, calling out, "Chow's on, people! Come in and dish up!"

* * *

><p>Okay, so this chapter ended up being longer than I had expected. Originally, I figured it'd just be a short filler chapter while I worked on the next chapter. However, it just got away from me, and before I knew it, I had thirteen hand-written pages waiting to be typed up, making it the longest chapter so far for this story. Not bad for what was supposed to be a little filler, is it? Not much to say, right now, except, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Please?<p> 


	15. Chapter 15: Wood Takes Aim

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Fifteen: Wood Takes Aim

In the days immediately following Thanksgiving, Usagi rarely saw Darien or Miyako. If she did see one, the other wasn't far behind. She kept telling herself that she didn't mind. After all, here, she wasn't Serena Tsukino, so, officially, she wasn't Darien's girlfriend. And, besides, the recently rediscovered siblings needed some time together. It had been eleven, twelve years since they'd been separated. She couldn't begrudge them that.

She, herself, was feeling better than she had in months. Her new henshin was stronger, and it felt more powerful than it had been, before. Though, she hadn't really been able to try out much of the power increase. Romera, Microbis, and Experia seemed to be laying low. The only things they'd had to fight were the seemingly endless array of blob monsters that the Anti-Elements seemed to favor.

So, Usagi spent most of her time, that first week, the same way she had since her arrival in Terrarose. She studied and she trained. She stayed in her apartment, or she was running in the park, or she was in the training arena in the old barn. She went to school and talked to no one.

The Elemental Warriors were busy with other things, as well. Molly and Melvin were working to catch up in their classes. Isolde was almost always at her dance rehearsals, now. Lia and Cleo had their own lives to deal with, too.

Though, Kyle still showed up during her morning runs, depending on his schedule. And she greatly enjoyed spending time with the leader of the Shitennou. He explained all about Operation: Decoy, at her insistence, after he'd informed her that he was aware she was Serenity's reincarnation. She'd told him what she could about her Senshi, fighting in Tokyo. He'd responded by telling her what he remembered of his days in the Golden Kingdom, and she'd discussed the Silver Millennium, and how she and Darien had been reunited in Tokyo.

It pleased her to see him so much more relaxed, in this new life. There were still several qualities and characteristics of the stern, solemn Shitennou of Swords, but he was also Kyle Lambert, who'd raised his two sisters for the past year, who'd grown up in Terrarose, after spending a few years in Tokyo, who'd played high school football, and who'd become a cop, who'd learned to laugh and have fun.

But, the same thing had happened to Venus, she remembered. Venus of the Silver Millennium had always been picture perfect and serious. But, in this lifetime, she was far more relaxed, carefree, and friendly. And she knew which Venus she preferred.

At least, the topic of her Senshi wasn't a common one. It was still painful, and Kyle seemed to understand that.

But, this semi-blissful state didn't last long. There had only been five days left in November. And, then, dawn rose on December 1st.

She laced up her white sneakers, pulled on her heavy, fleece-lined hoodie (the pre-dawn jogs had gotten colder), and stepped out of her apartment. Reaching the first floor, she opened the building's main door to two surprises. The first was the light dusting of snow covering everything. Everywhere she looked, things glittered in the lights of the street lamps.

The second surprise came jogging up to her through the still falling tiny flakes. Midnight blue eyes sparkled as they spotted Usagi. She squealed and dashed over to throw her arms around Darien. They were both laughing as he picked her up and spun her around.

"I've missed you," he said, as he finally set her back down.

She shrugged. "You were busy, getting to know your little sister. I understand."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I should neglect my girlfriend." He lightly kissed the tip of her nose. "Even if she's as understanding as you. And no matter what name she's using. Now, let's go for our morning jog."

Together, they turned towards the park and its jogging path. And, he didn't leave her at the door to her apartment, either. Instead, he carried her book bag all the way to Firerose Academy, handing it over to her only when they reached the gates to the school campus.

Usagi sighed and smiled all the way to her first class, glad to have Darien in her life, again.

* * *

><p>After school, Miyako, Cleo, and Lia insisted on going back downtown, to the beginning of the Snowflake Festival. All of the downtown stores had signs out, displaying their Snowflake Sales and their Festival Drawings.<p>

Miyako pulled them all into a local dress shop, to check out this year's Snowflake Fashions.

"I know the Snowflake Ball isn't until New Year's Eve, but I'd rather find my dress now," she explained.

Cleo nodded, "And, sadly, most people don't buy a Snowflake Ball dress until December, so it's important to get in early. After all, the year's color scheme doesn't get revealed until November."

"There's a color scheme?" Molly inquired, flipping through the racks of dresses.

Lia nodded. "Light blues, silvers, whites, lavenders, dark blues. Occasionally black is used, too. And everything is specific shades. Like this year's lavender is actually called 'Winter's Dawn.' As if it makes a difference. It's still lavender."

However, nothing in the shop seemed to appeal to any of the five girls. One dress would have the perfect top, but the skirt would be completely wrong, or the other way around. Disappointed, they left the small dress shop and continued down the street.

"There are a few people who do custom dresses for the ball," muttered Lia. "But they're pretty expensive. Though, Mom's talked about taking me to one of them. Not sure how well that'll go. Mom's idea of a fitting dress and mine aren't exactly the same thing. She'll probably try to stick me in something straight out of the Victorian Era, high collar and all."

Usagi frowned. There had to be a better way. Then, she remembered one of Trista's hobbies. Though, she didn't say anything to her new friends. She figured she'd better talk to Trista first. Still, she hoped that the Time Guardian would be willing to do it.

"Well, why don't' we go ahead and head up to Melanthios?" Cleo suggested. "I know Harper will have his Snowflake flavors available, and the Café gift card drawing. Plus, we can go ahead and get a map for the Snowflake Stroll. It's a great way to plan out a route."

"Snowflake Stroll?" Usagi and Molly chorused.

"It's a Tuesday night. The downtown stores hold a second, one-night-only sale and or contest. Stores give out desert samples, hot drinks, popcorn. You know, stuff like that. And then there's the Wonderland Walk, which is the week before that, when the whole park is strung with lights and set up for romantic strolls through the moonlit winter wonderland," Miyako answered, sighing as she spoke of the park.

Usagi frowned. "Making both of them sound like the perfect setup for the Anti-Elements. Especially Romera. You heard her, trying to use the powers of broken hearts. What better target than a couple on a moonlit stroll?"

"Unfortunately, she's probably right," agreed Cleo. "Tactically, it would make sense. A lot of Snowflake Festivities would make good targets."

"Well, we won't let them ruin our Snowflake Festival. The next time Microbis or Romera show their ugly faces, they're going down." Lia braced herself, placing her hands on her hips.

The others nodded.

"Then, we'd better get to training," decided Miyako.

* * *

><p>After Lia's and Miyako's declarations, free time ceased to exist. Any minute not spent on school work was spent training, to be ready for the next Anti-Element attack. Miyako had, in the safety of their training room, presented Melvin and Molly with their weapons, a battle ax for Knight Metal and a clear, glass-like orb for Sailor Air. Though both weapons were only used in training. They didn't want the enemy to discover their two newest attacks, until they were needed.<p>

And, every day, Darien would arrive, waiting by the first aid kit. Which, it happened, was a good thing, after Lia sprained her ankle, and Usagi had suffered a now rare klutz attack and had gashed open her forehead. Thankfully, that one hadn't needed stitches. And, he called occasional breaks, shoving bottles of water and energy bars into open hands.

"You all keep doing this, you'll wear yourselves out before the enemy even attacks," he told them, after almost a week of this new regime. "Take a day off, tomorrow. Relax, have a little fun."

Cleo shook her head. "The Wonderland Walk is in two days. We have to be ready for whatever they throw at us."

"And we aren't going to be ready if we're too exhausted to fight," admonished Usagi, knowingly. "Darien's right. We should take tomorrow off. Maybe we could go down and register in a few Snowflake Contests, Or…" she trailed off, hesitantly.

"Or?" Miyako asked.

"Or, you could come over to my place. Trista's offered to design gowns for us, for the Snowflake Ball. She's had centuries to master her hobbies, and one of them is fashion designing. She's got the full color palette for this year's Snowflake Festival." She wrung her hands nervously.

"Wait. Your cousin is offering us custom dresses for the Snowflake Ball?" Isolde demanded, having been able to make training, since she didn't have dance class. "Dresses no one else will have?"

Usagi nodded.

"Count me in!" The water scout declared.

Lia, Cleo, and Miyako nodded. Molly actually ran over and hugged Usagi.

"You're the best, Usagi," declared Lia. "You and your cousin, both!"

* * *

><p>After school on Monday, Usagi's apartment was covered in various fabrics, while Trista pulled each girl aside and discussed what she wanted in her gown. At the end of each discussion, she'd turn her large sketchbook around, and show the design. Then, Usagi was tasked with getting all the measurements Trista needed.<p>

"I can hardly wait to see how this is actually going to turn out," squealed Isolde, as Usagi measured Miyako. "People are going to be so jealous!"

"Not to mention, Mom gets no input on my gown. She already told me she's got it ordered, and yes, it's as Victorian as she can go. Sometimes, as prudish as she is, it surprises me she lets me play volleyball. I mean, you've seen our uniforms," sighed Lia.

Molly patted her arm, sympathetically. It surprised Usagi, how easily Molly and Melvin fitted into the group. But, then again, they were part of the team. Just like her scouts had been. More and more, Usagi found herself feeling the outsider, the intruder. After all, _she_ wasn't an Elemental Warrior. She was just a girl, hiding from her past.

"Hey, Earth to Usagi," laughed Cleo. "Where were you? The moon?"

Usagi flinched. "No, not that far away. Your turn, then?"

Miyako hopped down off the stool, letting her adopted sister take her place. "You sure you're okay, Usagi? You've been a little distant, lately."

"Just getting a little homesick, I guess." The blonde shrugged, ignoring the headache forming from the weight of her bun. Normally, she'd have already taken it down, for a little bit, by now.

Molly nodded. "I understand that. I haven't even been here a month, and I already really miss Tokyo."

"Well, you and Usagi have something in common, then." Isolde grinned. "You're both from Tokyo."

"So was I, originally," added Miyako. "And so is Darien. And Cleo and Kyle used to live there, too. Though we were in the what? Azubu district? Does that sound right?"

"Not too far from Juuban. That's where my momma and I live," commented Molly, playing with the ends of her hair. "Where'd you live, Usagi?"

"I…I'd rather not talk about Tokyo," she stammered.

Miyako sighed. "Alright, we won't talk about Tokyo, then."

Usagi bent over the notebook, to write down Cleo's measurements, but she could swear she felt Molly's eyes on her the entire time.

* * *

><p>"Really, what's with all the late term new students?" Isolde groaned, as the group made their way towards the park. "We have a new girl at Terrarose High. Started today, arrived in town yesterday. I tried to keep an eye on her, but she doesn't seem like an enemy."<p>

Miyako sighed. "Usagi and I will take a look at her, first chance we get. Just to be on the safe side."

"Speaking of Usagi, where is she?" Lia demanded.

"She's strolling through the park with Darien. The same way Molly and Melvin are, keeping an eye out for trouble from the ground. Cleo's idea."

Lia glared at the scout of earth. "Of course it was Cleo's idea."

"What is with you, Lia?" Cleo snapped. "You're taking this way too personally!"

"You're acting like you're Miyako's second-in-command. Hate to break it to you, but I'm supposed to be second-in-command. I might not remember much about the Garden and our time in it, but I do remember that! So quit trying to take my post!"

Cleo snorted. "Take your post? You haven't been much of a second-in-command, Lia. I joined this group before you, didn't I?"

"Just stop!" Isolde yelped. "I'm sure we can work this out calmly, and rationally, if the two of you would just take a step back!"

"Butt out, Isolde!" They both snapped.

"Enough, both of you!" Miyako ordered. "As far as it goes, right now, Usagi is more in charge than I am. She knows what she's doing, and I trust her. So, I'm more her second-in-command, if anything. Now, let's get through tonight, and we can all sit down and discuss this later. Right now, we've got a job to do, and your grudges against each other are only going to be in our way!"

Her three friends stared at her, temporarily stunned.

It wasn't until they felt the tugging at their bracelets that any of them moved, lifting their transformation items.

* * *

><p>Usagi strolled, arm-in-arm with Darien. Overhead, in the bare branches of the park's trees, strands of white lights twinkled. Icicle lights, rope lights, and hundreds of snow-flake shaped lanterns filled the trees. And, with the snow covering the ground, crunching with each step, it felt like a perfect, fairy tale night.<p>

"Doesn't it feel like we're back on the Moon?" Darien whispered to her. "The pale colors, the sparkling lights, the calm, peaceful atmosphere, the celebrations only a few yards away?"

She smiled. "Yes, except for our wardrobe." She looked down at their jeans, snow boots, and slightly bulky coats. "But, if I forget that, then, yes, I can pretend to be back there. I can almost hear Venus, following me. Though, it doesn't help that Kyle _is_ following us. And he's not exactly as subtle as he was, back then."

She laughed and nodded regally to the icy-haired police officer lounging against a tree, a few feet away.

"Well, he is determined to protect us, both. And, until we can purify my rose," he trailed off.

A dark cloud briefly crossed her face. Lia had examined the cursed henshin rose, a few days ago, but she'd handed it back to them. She'd explained she wasn't sure if the flames could purify the rose, without destroying it, and she wasn't willing to take that chance. Usagi and Darien had both agreed. She had suggested talking to Molly, and the ability of Air to purify, but she'd come to much the same conclusion. Especially since she couldn't completely control the winds, yet.

But, there had been repercussions of his stunt at the flower shop and Lia and Molly's inability to purify the rose. Darien couldn't go anywhere, without having at least one of his Shitennou with him, either right beside him, or trailing at a discreet distance.

If Kyle couldn't join them on their morning jogs, then it was Owen who silently shadowed them. During the school day, he either helped Harper in the bookstore, or he hung out at Kyle's house, with the head of the Shitennou. Once school let out, Owen would begin shadowing him again, when he visited with Miyako or went to see Usagi.

As usual, Harper was busy at the bookstore. He would be, until Christmas Eve, when he closed early. But, Usagi was sure Owen was around, somewhere, keeping an eye on them, too.

They turned off, onto one of the lesser used trails, which had a better set up for an Anti-Element trap. But, still, there was no sign of Romera, Microbis, or Experia. Not even a hint of one of the ooze monsters they preferred.

But, Usagi couldn't get herself to completely relax. So far, so good, didn't mean no tricks, no traps, no baddies. Something she'd picked up from Owen. The youngest Shitennou often had sayings like that, things he'd picked up, or, in some cases, made up, over the centuries, since the fall of the Golden Kingdom.

She reached up, feeling reassured by rubbing her fingers on the band of her henshin bracelet. She was careful, though, to avoid bumping any of her charms on her second bracelet. She didn't want to cause any unnecessary panic. She was about to drop her hand away, when the cloud and the sunglasses both began to pulse.

"Molly and Melvin found them," she hissed. "We'd better get going."

He nodded, and they started walking towards the section where Molly and Melvin had been strolling, only to find their path blocked.

"Hello, dearies," called Romera, materializing in front of them.

* * *

><p>Across the park, the Elemental Warriors found themselves facing Microbis and Experia, as well as a whole pack of blob monsters.<p>

"This time, you won't have victory," laughed Microbis.

Sailor Element looked at her companions. "We need a widespread assault."

Sailor Water nodded at Sailor Air. The orange haired girl smiled, summoning her orb, for the first time in a true battle.

"Aquatic Flood!"

"Cloud Cyclone!"

The tidal wave of water descended on the blob creatures, followed by a spinning mass of pale yellow clouds. The creatures were swept away, dissolving into quivering masses, before ceasing to exist.

Microbis stared in shock, unmoving, even as Experia began demanding what they were going to do. And, before he could snap out of it, he found himself facing the blade of Knight Metal's battle axe.

"Your overconfidence was always your weakness, Microbis," growled the coppery warrior. "In this lifetime and before. It's why he turned you out as his apprentice, sending you crawling to your Master of the Void."

"But I became something greater because of it," snarled Microbis, coming out of his trance.

A look of sadness crossed Knight Metal's face. "But not as great as you could have been."

He slowly spun the axe.

"Copper Sentinel Strike!"

The point blank attack from Knight Metal destroyed both Microbis and Experia.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," muttered Sailor Earth. She lifted her hands, about to release her henshin, when Microbis's echoing laugh sounded around the clearing.

"Little fools. You really think it would be that easy?"

They all spun, trying to find him.

"I am the greatest scientific mind in the world," he continued. "You think I wouldn't have an escape plan? You'll all have to do much better the next time we meet."

Slowly, his laugh faded away.

Sailor Fire uttered a phrase that had Sailor Element pinning her with a deadly glare. "Aurelia, there is no need for that. We'll get him. The next time he shows his face, we'll get him."

"Well, we'd better get back to patrolling," sighed Sailor Water.

"Wait a minute." Sailor Air slowly spun around, doing a quick head count. "Where's Sailor R?"

Several pairs of eyes widened.

"She never misses a battle," muttered Sailor Earth.

Sailor Element frowned. The feeling of darkness hadn't completely disappeared from the park. There was another source… "That way!"

She took off, running for the other side of the park, darting around the crowd at the skating rink. She didn't have to look back to know the others were following. The closer she got, the stronger the feeling of darkness, until it grew to the point that she recognized it.

"Romera!"

* * *

><p>Usagi shifted so that she stood in front of Darien. He briefly squeezed her hand, before letting go.<p>

"I believe in you, Serena," he whispered. "You can do this."

She nodded, lifting her fisted hand.

"Royal Star Power!"

Just as Usagi began her henshin, Romera launched an attack. Darien knew she wouldn't have time to prepare before it hit. But, the attack never reached them. Instead, a shimmering steel blade cut the attack, destroying it instantly.

Kunzite dropped to the ground in front of them, his broadsword up, ready to defend the two of them. A thin, shadowy barrier rose around them, as Onyx and Vista emerged from the trees. At first, Darien almost didn't recognize the dog, seeing as her harness was gone. The Golden Retriever growled, placing herself in front of Onyx.

Sailor R narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, Romera?"

"To destroy the Elemental Warriors, of course. And to get rid of you, too. You see, I want to become the ruler of the Void, not a mere servant. And, to do that, I need to remove every obstacle in my way. And you're one of them, Sailor R. I get rid of you, and the others won't be nearly as difficult to destroy. Just as long as we keep the last two Elemental Warriors from awakening. It won't be long until I can find them and destroy them before they even realize what I've done. Knight Aethyr won't be around to save the Elemental Warriors, this time."

She lifted her hands to send another attack.

"Virtuous Star Shower!"

Sailor R lifted her braceleted wrist towards the sky. She could swear she felt power coming off of all three of the men standing with her, power from their courage, their kindness, their hope. Star light caught along the bracelet's edges, spinning around before shooting upward, to fall down on Romera. She shrieked, as the star light burned her.

The shadows around the edge of the pathway rippled, gathering around Onyx and Vista, solidifying down into a single orb of energy, no bigger than an orange. Onyx lifted it upward, flinging it like a baseball. It slammed into Romera, and she skidded back, colliding with a tree.

Back and forth the attacks flew. Sailor R attacking, Kunzite defending and Onyx bouncing between the two. Sometimes the blows landed, only serving to further annoy Romera, and some she managed to avoid. But, neither side could do much substantial damage. Darien, still unwilling to let them fight without him, grabbed snowballs to launch at Romera.

Suddenly, the Anti-Element turned, as Sailor Element came running up, followed by the rest of the Elemental Warriors.

"Another time, dearies," cried Romera, before she vanished.

Sailor R staggered, slightly. The constant stream of attacks and dodges had been extremely draining. Her henshin faded, and she collapsed into Darien's arms.

This time, however, he didn't panic. After all, he'd had the same thing happen, back in Tokyo when she was Sailor Moon, when she'd gone hours tracking down and destroying youma. He closed his eyes and let his energy flow into her. Not a lot, just enough to steady her, just as he had done before. Back then, he hadn't understood the why or how he'd been able to do it. Now, he knew it was their bond, and he was determined to keep it strong.

She smiled up at him, gratefully, before she pulled away, straightening.

"Divide and conquer, apparently," stated Sailor Earth. "Nice little tactic, when it actually does work."

Sailor Fire glared at her, but the white-blonde scout just turned and grinned.

"Thankfully, it didn't," growled Kunzite. "And that was reckless of you, your highness." He turned to Darien. "Attacking Romera with snowballs."

"It worked, didn't it?" Onyx asked.

Kunzite just stared silently down at the boy.

"You do remember that doesn't work on me, right?" The young boy laughed. "I don't get the full impact."

Darien started laughing, with Usagi joining him.

Sailor Element turned her head. "We'd better get going. Tonight's events have attracted some attention."

Onyx nodded, taking Vista and drifting back into the shadows. Taking Usagi's arm, Darien strolled off along the path, the two of them acting as if nothing at all had happened. Quickly the Elemental Warriors and Kunzite took off, Kunzite fading back into Kyle and carefully trailing after his prince and princess.

* * *

><p>"I just don't get it."<p>

The next day, after school, Miyako had insisted on a meeting with Usagi at Melanthios. And she'd insisted that the Elemental Warriors take a break, too.

"I mean, Lia's extremely angry about this whole second-in-command thing. I don't remember what she's talking about. Taking her post? Our time in the Garden? Though, that might explain a lot, especially about the visions and things that I've known since I became Sailor Element."

"If you'd lived in the Garden? If this life isn't your first?" Usagi said, gazing down into her white chocolate and caramel flavored hot chocolate.

Miyako nodded. "Exactly. Though why Lia would remember more than me…"

"There's any number of possibilities on that," stated Usagi, thinking of both how Venus had been allowed to remember because of everything that had happened with Ace, how Kunzite's memory had almost fully awakened before Darien's, how Harper, Owen, and Trista had never forgotten. "I can't be completely certain without knowing more. There are too many variables." _Listen to me, I'm sounding like Amy_. "We should take one of these days where we have nothing to do, like Saturday or Sunday…"

"I have volunteer hours at the library on Saturday," interjected Miyako.

"So, Sunday, then. We'll gather everyone together, and I'll see what we can piece together. Darien, Owen and I can interview each of you, individually, and see what we can figure out. We don't need Cleo and Lia fighting during the interviews, after all."

"We could use that room off the training room," suggested Miyako, "while everyone else keeps working of their training."

Usagi nodded, holding a finger to her lips as Isolde came running up to them.

"She's here. That new girl I was telling you about," exclaimed the blonde dancer.

"The new girl at Terrarose High?" Miyako demanded.

Usagi frowned. "New girl at Terrarose High? I take it you really don't get a lot of new students around here."

"A few, but they always do what you did," explained Miyako. "They start at the beginning of the semester, not part way through, and especially not only two weeks away from the end of the semester. After all, two weeks is not enough time to catch up."

Isolde nodded towards the counter. "That's her, red hair with the yellow ribbon tied around her ponytail."

Usagi's eyes widened and she froze. Not again! And, if _she_ was here, was her brother, too? How much longer until everyone that she knew was in Terrarose?

"Lizzie Hansford," muttered Usagi.

"You know her?" Isolde demanded. "I thought, as big as Tokyo is, you wouldn't know everyone from there. I mean, what are the chance that you'd actually know the new girl?"

"I don't really know her, per say. Her brother runs the Crown Arcade and Fruit Parlor, where I used to hang out. And occasionally, she'd help out. We weren't exactly best friends, or anything like that. I doubt she'd even recognize me if she saw me."

"Still, that makes me feel better," decided Isolde. "Miyako?"

"I can't sense any darkness. But, I do sense something, something familiar."

"What do you mean?" Bright green eyes narrowed. "Familiar how?"

Usagi's blue eyes widened in understanding. "Familiar, like she's one of you."

"She's Sailor Wood," answered Miyako. "She has to be."

"Wood? Not Aethyr?" Isolde asked, but Miyako didn't answer. She was already across the café, introducing herself to Lizzie.

* * *

><p>"Of course I didn't tell her she's Sailor Wood!" Miyako exclaimed. "I'm not stupid! I know she wouldn't have believed me!"<p>

Lia stared at her. "You take one look at the girl and decide she's one of us? You certainly didn't do that with Molly or Melvin."

"Chill, Lia!" Cleo snapped.

Usagi nodded. "It's understandable. As more of you come together, the stronger Sailor Element gets. The question becomes, what do we do about this?"

"Isolde and I can stay with her at school," offered Owen, peaking his head up from behind Vista. "Make sure the Anti-Elements don't get to her while we're at school. I mean, she's either in class with one or both of us."

Isolde nodded. "And she likes Miyako. She came up to me during lunch and said she was one of the most welcoming people she's met in Terrarose."

"And Usagi, Molly, and Melvin have the whole 'used to live in Tokyo' thing," offered Cleo.

Darien nodded, though he didn't comment. Usagi knew what he was thinking, though. If Lizzie was here, was Andrew? She frowned, glancing down at the date on her phone. It had been one week and three days since Beryl and Malachite had kidnapped Darien at the Starlight Tower.

"Wait, you know Lizzie better than me," she whispered to him. "Being Andrew's best friend, and all. And, you're still using your name, you already have the cover story of visiting your cousins, Harper and Owen, and finding out about your little sister, just as long as you don't tell her you've been here for months…"

Darien smiled, before turning to the others. "I know Lizzie's older brother. He's my best friend, back home. I can talk to Lizzie, figure out what's going on, and that sort of thing. And, I'm sure she'll be pleased to know Miyako is my little sister."

"Though, does Lizzie know you're here?" Lia asked.

Darien shook his head. "As far as Lizzie and her brother know, I suddenly vanished from Tokyo, a week and three days ago. The whole annoyance of time travel," he sighed. "Anyway, I can use suddenly finding out about Miyako as the reason I vanished. As long as no one mentions I've been here for several months…"

"We can pull it off," muttered Owen. "Harper's done it before, a selective memory wipe. And no one in Terrarose, with the exception of the …" he did a quick count, "eleven of us, will know you've been here longer than nine days."

"Nine days?" Lia frowned.

"One day for air travel," explained Melvin, "plus crossing the International Date Line, which messes with things, layovers at the airports, car travel to get from the airport to Terrarose, nine days makes sense." At Lia's incredulous stare, he sighed. "You forget, Molly and I just went through that a month ago. And Lizzie's just arrived, too."

"And that gives us ten days since he left Tokyo," summed up Owen. "I may be blind, but I do occasionally know what I'm talking about."

"I'm sorry, Owen. I didn't mean…" began Lia, but the boy just held up his hand.

"It's fine," he stated.

Miyako turned to her older brother. "I'm supposed to meet Lizzie tomorrow, after school."

"And tomorrow's another half day," cheered Cleo.

Isolde grumbled. "For you, it is. Terrarose High still has two more days until Winter Break."

"So, I'm meeting Lizzie at about three, in front of Terrarose High," stated Miyako.

"Alright, swing by Melanthios first, and I'll give you a ride. That is, if Harper will let me borrow his car."

* * *

><p>True to plan, Miyako arrived at Melanthios Books and Café, just before three the next day.<p>

Usagi smiled from the back table, where she was reading a thick, black book, its dust jacket lying face down in front of her. She waved and kept on reading.

Miyako waved back, before approaching the counter. "Hey, Harper. Is Darien ready to go?"

Crimson eyes twinkled. "Yes, and yes, Miyako, he's borrowing my car. Though, I'll expect it all back in one piece." He bowed his head to Darien, as the ebon-haired young man hurried past the counter. "Have fun and watch out for monsters."

"Very funny, Harper," called Miyako, as she and her brother swept out the door. "See you later."

They walked out, to where Harper's silver and black sedan was waiting, Miyako quickly sliding into the front passenger seat.

"So, you and Usagi, huh?" She saw the color rise in Darien's cheeks. "I can tell. You two have a bit of history, together, don't you? Back in Tokyo, maybe?"

"It's complicated, Miyako. But, then again, things have always been complicated when it comes to Usagi and I," he explained. "I don't know if it'll ever get any easier."

Midnight blue eyes narrowed as she stared at her brother. "Alright, keep your secrets. I'm sure I'll find out, sooner or later. Kyle can tell you, it's hard to keep a secret from me."

Darien's laughter filled the car as he slid to a stop in front of Terrarose High. Miyako slid out and stood by the car, looking for Lizzie.

"Hey, I told Harper that I'd give Owen a lift home, too, so…" he brother called out.

"I'll watch for him, too, then," she said, leaning down to grin through the still open car door.

It didn't take her long to spot Owen, his white cane clacking on the cement. He kept Vista home, preferring to use his cane in the crowded high school halls, she'd learned. Besides, Vista occasionally got twitchy around too many people. Not that Miyako blamed her.

"Owen, over here," she called out, hoping to get his attention.

And then, all hell broke loose, as a red mist flooded the parking lot. Miyako saw Owen drop to the ground to avoid it, and she threw herself back into the car, slamming the door shut. Through the glass, she could hear people beginning to fight and argue, even as the mist faded. And, perched on top of the school's welcome sign, stood Romera.

Miyako shook her head as Darien went to open his door. "You stay here. Owen, Isolde and I can handle this. Call Usagi and the others. Tell them to get here as quickly as they can." She turned and looked back, groaning. "Tell them to hurry. Microbis and Experia are here, too. Kyle should be off, today, so get him to come and help us out, too."

Darien nodded, his phone already to his ear, waiting for Usagi to pick up.

Miyako slipped out of the car, running over to crouch behind a handful of empty cars.

"Soul of the Elements!"

Sailor Element leapt out, her hand outstretched to send an attack towards Romera, who was closer. She knew, with only Isolde there, her powers wouldn't be as strong, but that didn't mean she wouldn't fight until the others got there.

"Frigid Whirlpool!"

Sailor Water's attack surrounded Microbis, only to reveal that, once again, it wasn't the real evil scientist Anti-Element, only another decoy.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

Her weakened attack collided with Romera, but the Anti-Element wasn't even fazed. Sailor Element frowned, rolling out of the way of a blast from Experia. It annoyed her that her only attack depended on the presence of her other warriors. How was she supposed to manage anything without them?

Thankfully, Lia was closest, so it wasn't long before she heard the fire scout.

"Encircling Firestorm!"

Romera flinched, this time, before she leapt out of the ring of raging flames, only to slam into a barrier made of shadows.

Onyx rose to his feet, his hands clenched. He was panting, his knuckles white, as if he were struggling with something. Briefly, she wondered if it was because he didn't have Vista, before her attention turned back to the battle.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

This time, she managed to send the attack into Experia, who was dodging away from Sailor Fire's blade. The red-clad scout wasn't bothering to use her powers, just swinging away with her saber. Experia never even saw the purple, blue, and red attack coming, before she was destroyed, once again.

Microbis let out a growl, turning to face Sailor Element.

"Piercing Stones!"

And it was another decoy. How many of those things did Microbis have? At least Experia was actually gone, this time.

"Aerial Illusions!"

She turned to nod to Sailor Earth and Sailor Air, even as various copies of everyone began appearing, thanks to Sailor Air.

Knight Metal came running up, with Sailor R right behind him. Sailor Element bit back a relieved sigh. Finally, she was almost at full power.

"Soul of Wood!"

The transformation cry surprised everyone. Suddenly, standing on one of the cars, was another scout, dressed in dark brown, with tan bands around her boots, with darker brown around her wrists, and matching tan bows at her chest and small of her back. Holding back her red-orange ponytail was a thin, dark brown ribbon.

Romera and Microbis simultaneously sent attacks at the newest scout. She leapt, flipping through the air, right over their heads.

"Leaf Vortex!"

She called out her attack as she passed over Romera. A tornado formed entirely of sharp-edged leaves flew at the Anti-Element, releasing the still fighting highschoolers, who turned and ran. Romera collapsed. When she began struggling to her feet, she found herself facing Sailor Element's open palm

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

Only the barest sliver of violet energy was now visible in her attack, with the addition of the brown vines.

Microbis yelped, as Sailor R removed another decoy.

Sailor Wood frowned, before holding her left fist in front of her. Vines sprung out of her hand, forming a curved shape, before turning into a bow.

"Vine Tracker!"

She shot an arrow towards Microbis's new location. He laughed as it passed straight through him, until it suddenly struck something invisible, several feet away. The decoy wavered and vanished, as Microbis reappeared, Sailor Wood's arrow in his shoulder.

She grinned. "All yours, Knight Metal, Sailor Element."

The two of them nodded as Knight Metal drew his axe.

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

"Copper Sentinel Strike!"

The look of shock never faded from Microbis's face.

Sailor Earth let out a cheer, as Sailor Water ran forward to throw her arms around Sailor Wood. Sailor Wood returned the hug, looking over to meet Sailor Element's gaze.

"Welcome to the team, Sailor Wood," called out Sailor Fire.

Gradually, everyone released their henshin, with no one being surprised to see Sailor Wood became Lizzie Hansford.

Darien came jogging up, Kyle beside him.

"Well, you didn't need me, after all," said Kyle. "Pity."

Lizzie stopped and stared for a moment. "Darien? Darien Shields? What in the world? You know, Andrew's been worried sick about you, mister!"

Darien started laughing, as Miyako stepped over to him.

"Hey, no need to yell at my big brother like that!"

Lizzie's jaw dropped.

* * *

><p>Again, this chapter turned out a whole lot longer than I originally expected. It'll probably end up being the longest chapter in the entire story. Seventeen pages on my computer! Wow! So, we've only got five more chapters to go, and this story's done!<p>

And now, for my section about what to ponder before the next chapter. What happened with Owen? What's Andrew's reaction going to be, when Darien gets a chance to talk to him? Only one Elemental Warrior left to find, and only two baddies left. And then, we have the questions brought up by Miyako. Did they really have a past life at this Garden? And why does Lia remember more than anyone else? Or does Lia really remember more than anyone else?

So, did anyone see Lizzie coming to be Sailor Wood? I kind of liked the idea of pulling her in, one more minor character who gets a little more screen time, here. And poor Harper! He's hardly ever involved in anything, right now! He's always busy at the bookstore and café. Though, in honesty, I feel like I have enough people running around fighting, at the moment.


	16. Chapter 16: Aethyr and Aethyr

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Sixteen: Aethyr and Aethyr

The days passed, once again, far too calmly. Still, they didn't let up on their training. Sunday's discussion with the Elemental Warriors didn't yield any more clues, nor any end to the tension between Cleo and Lia. Everyone else could tell it was bothering Miyako to have her two friends at odds with each other and pulling away from her, at the same time. Only Cleo and Lia seemed oblivious to the pain they were causing their friend.

So, Miyako found herself trying to spend more and more time with Usagi and Darien, but that wasn't working any better. Not that she didn't love spending time with her brother, but she often felt like a third wheel, when they got together. But, it was the same way, trying to spend time with Molly and Melvin. Isolde was spending more time at the dance studio, again, before the upcoming Snowflake Festival performance. And, then, she realized, maybe the best thing would be to spend time with Lizzie, instead.

She and the red-haired girl strolled down the streets of downtown, registering for contests and drawings, keeping an eye out for any sign of the Anti-Elements. Of course, they'd gone to Usagi's apartment, earlier, to get Lizzie's dress for the Snowflake Ball. She'd spent a few afternoons this week at Lizzie's aunt and uncle's place, meeting Anthony and Maria Greymere (Maria being the sister of Arthur Hansford, Lizzie and Andrew's father). She'd instantly liked both of them, but she'd yet to actually meet Andrew. The guy had disappeared into his room, just before she'd arrived, and not emerged until after she'd left. She was getting a little annoyed with him.

The recurring dream hadn't helped, much, either. Over and over again, she was watching the men in white and black armor fight it out. Tawny hair always flashed in the sunlight, bright against the black armor, while dark, red-brown hair contrasted strongly with the white armor. She could feel something tugging at her, trying to tell her she should be rooting for the man in white armor. But, that just felt wrong. She knew that the man in _black_ armor was her protector, despite it being the color usually associated with darkness and evil. She kept screaming a name, a name she couldn't remember when she awoke. But, at least, she wasn't waking Kyle and Cleo when she had the dream, anymore.

She'd told the dream to Lizzie, one afternoon, as they were walking through downtown.

"I don't know exactly what to tell you," replied the newest Elemental Warrior, "except that it seems familiar to me, too. At least, the pair of them fighting. I just don't know what to make of it."

Miyako glanced down at her watch, not quite buying Lizzie's explanation. Something about it just seemed off. "Well, we'd better get going, or we'll be late to practice."

Neither of them saw the figure following them, at a discreet distance.

* * *

><p>Darien jogged towards the training barn. Even for a snowy day, there wasn't a lot of chill in the air. Kyle was a few feet in front of him, at the moment, but, in a few moments, he'd drop back to join Darien again. Owen, who normally would have joined them, had opted to stay home. He'd been doing that a lot, lately, ever since the fight at Terrarose High. He didn't know what was going on. Owen had barely spoken to him or to Harper since then.<p>

Kyle dropped back, a grim look on his face. "Owen's been a little too quiet, lately, hasn't he?"

"You noticed, then," observed Darien, unsurprised. "Yeah, ever since Wednesday. Hardly a word out of him. And he won't leave the bookstore. Not unless Harper's coming with him."

"Something happened at that battle."

"Yeah, but what? I couldn't see most of what was going on, and you got there after it was all over. And, I haven't had a chance to really bring it up with Harper."

"Those two keep way too many secrets," grumbled the reincarnated Shitennou.

Darien nodded as they turned the corner, the barn coming into sight. He slowed, however, as he spotted the person following Miyako and Lizzie. He knew that dark blonde hair. He held up a hand, signaling Kyle to hold back, and he snuck up on the other young man, one hand coming out to grab his arm.

The young man whirled, his brown eyes going wide. "Darien?"

"Hey, Andrew. Thought that was you," grinned his oldest friend, before turning to Kyle. "Hey, Kyle, come over her. Andrew, this is Kyle Lambert. Kyle, this is Andrew Hansford."

"Yes, Miyako's mentioned you." Kyle extended his hand.

Andrew shook it. "I can't believe it. What are you doing here, Darien?"

"Long story," stated Darien. "Why don't we head back into town? There's a great little place, Melanthios Books and Café. We can talk there."

"Yeah, Lizzie's talked about it. And so have Aunt Maria and Uncle Anthony. They all really seem to like the place." The dark blonde nodded.

Kyle shrugged. "Then, let's go, instead of just talking about it."

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, the café was mostly deserted when they arrived. A small gaggle of girls were trying to flirt with Noland, who was running the counter. But, other than that, no one was around.<p>

Darien snagged a table nearest to the bookstore.

"So, you said it's a long story," began Andrew.

Kyle nodded, leaning back in his chair. "It is. I've heard it."

"A few weeks ago, I was digging through a few things from my parents." The dark haired man lied. "And I found out about a couple of cousins on my mom's side. So, I got in touch with them. I had hoped, maybe, they could jog some of the memories I lost. Turns out, they live here, in Terrarose."

"And then, you found out that your cousins weren't your only relatives in Terrarose." Kyle grinned.

He smiled. "Yeah. Kyle's parents knew my parents, and I came to find out, they adopted my little sister. And, when I found out she was here, I just sort of took off so I could meet her. I just couldn't wait. So, I pulled some cash, and hopped the first flight here.

"I've been staying with my cousins, Harper and Owen, and getting to know Miyako all over again. She doesn't remember much, but she was only three. Still…"

"Having her back means a lot," stated Andrew.

"To both of them," declared Harper, strolling over, a tray in his hands.

"Andrew, my cousin, Harper Melanthios. He owns the place. Harper, this is the friend I keep telling you about. This is Andrew."

"I figured it might be. Cappuccino?

* * *

><p>Miyako delivered a flying kick into one of the practice dummies. "I thought Darien and Kyle were going to join us, today. I mean, this civilian training <em>was<em> Kyle's idea."

"They ran into Andrew," explained Usagi, dropping her bag just inside the door, along with her coat. "I don't think they saw me, but I saw them. They headed back to Melanthios."

Lizzie grinned, as she continued stretching. "About time. Wait, how did they run into him?"

"He was following the two of you," explained the blonde, shoving a few pins back into her bun. "If the two of them hadn't intercepted him, I'd have stepped in. You may be a scout, Lizzie, but your brother's still a civilian."

The redhead nodded, standing up and brushing off her hands. She took a few running steps, before launching herself forward and doing several quick handsprings.

Miyako stared, her jaw dropping.

"I used to take gymnastics," explained the redhead. "Regular gymnastics, though I always wanted to try rhythm gymnastics. I still try to keep practicing, even though I no longer take lessons. Dad said I didn't need them, anymore."

Usagi nodded, moving over by the wall, to start stretching. "Anything like that, gymnastics, volleyball, ballet, can be used, in both our forms, to help defend ourselves and the civilians. You've seen Isolde with that ribbon whip of hers, though that's more like rhythm gymnastics than ballet."

"Madam Claire teaches both a ballet class and a Rhythm gymnastics class," explained Miyako. "Isolde's been doing both for years. She says they're pretty similar, sometimes."

Usagi finished her stretches and moved to the center of the room, as the rest of the Elemental Warriors filed in.

"I know some of you are confused as to why Kyle insisted on civilian training," began the disguised Moon Princess. "But, there are times when you won't be able to henshin. Transform," she clarified at several blank looks. In fact, only Molly, Melvin, and Lizzie seemed to have understood the term. "If you lose your transformation items." She held up her bracelet. "Or, if you are surrounded by civilians and cannot risk exposing your identity. Even when you are transformed, you have all seen our powers don't always work. But, in that state, we have a battle awareness that we can rely on to help us out. But, this is not a perfect solution. So, with Kyle's help, we've designed a little obstacle course that you must get through, without using your magical abilities. The first two thirds, you must remain in civilian form. At the beginning of the last third, you must transform, but you still cannot rely on your powers. It's still civilian tactics, but there are certain abilities you can better access. Allow me to demonstrate."

She tapped a button on the floor, and the smooth walls rippled and shifted into a series of hoops, barriers, pits and such, with ropes appearing as well as several targets and practice dummies.

She moved to the beginning of the course, marked by a yellow line with 'start' on one side and 'finish' on the other. As her foot hit the line, a timer and scoreboard appeared. She ran forward, flipping through several of the hoops, leapt over some of the barriers, rolled under certain others. Grabbing a rope, she swung over the pits, landing gently on the other side. She dodged around the practice dummies, kicked the targets, and then dropped down behind another of the barriers, marked by a silver star.

"Royal Star Power!"

When she leapt back up, she had finished her transformation, before finishing the remaining third, relying on her extra strength and energy to leap over taller barriers and through hoops higher off the ground, before she finally landed back on the start/finish line. The timer stopped and the scoreboard read a total of 25 targets hit, along with a number of other stats, including how many hoops she'd made it through. And it had only taken her seven minutes to make the circuit.

"Don't worry too much about the scoreboard and timer now," stated Usagi, releasing her transformation. "Basically, we'll be using it to help see how much you've all improved, not to compare each other. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. So, who'd like to go first?"

Lizzie leapt to her feet. "Allow me!"

* * *

><p>Darien walked towards the café door with Andrew. "So, see you here, tomorrow? I'd like you to meet Miyako."<p>

"I'd love to meet your sister," replied Andrew. "Until tomorrow." He waved and started down the sidewalk.

As he turned the corner, he bumped into a guy in a bulky white coat, with a white stocking cap pulled low on his dark, red-brown hair.

"Sorry. Excuse me," stated Andrew.

He didn't see the look on the stranger's face, a sly, cold, and calculating grin. "Oh, I'll excuse you, alright." The man whispered. "And soon, you really will be sorry. Just you wait. _Just you wait._"

* * *

><p>However, the plan didn't go off, quite like everyone hoped. At first, nothing seemed to terrible, well, to anyone except for Miyako. The dream had changed, last night. Now, the tawny haired, black armored warrior was on the other side of the field, moving as if too attack her, while the white armored figure held him off. The black armored figure yelled something that she couldn't quite make out, before he charged, again.<p>

Of course, that had woken her, in the middle of the night. And it had taken hours to fall back asleep. Something had felt so wrong about that dream. And, of course, that had led to her oversleeping, which led to rushing out the door to get to Melanthios, where she was meeting Usagi, Lizzie, Isolde, and Molly, so they could go stroll through downtown, before meeting up with Darien and Andrew.

Isolde, too, was running late. Extremely late. The three girls waited half an hour for her, when she finally ran up, panting.

"Zander called," she explained. "And I really don't get to talk to him all that much, but, usually he lets me go when I tell him I have to be somewhere. But, today, he just kept talking and talking. And I couldn't very well just hang up on him, now could I? He'd think I was mad and him, and it'd be even longer before he'd call me, again."

Lizzie frowned. "I'm sorry, but who's Zander?"

"My older brother. He turns seventeen, just after Christmas. He's a real genius. Graduated last spring, and he got himself a full ride to Oxford. So, I haven't seen him since August," she elaborated.

Miyako nodded. "Zander's always been pretty cool. You remember the snowball fights he used to arrange? He'd even rope Kyle and Noland into them."

"Noland? In a snowball fight?" Molly laughed.

The group started walking towards the downtown streets, when Miyako suddenly stopped. She stared across the street, at a man in a bulky white coat. It took her friends a few seconds to realize she'd stopped. They hurried back, quickly surrounding her, looking for what had caught her attention.

Lizzie stiffened, her hand instantly going to wrap around the wooden butterfly that was her henshin pendant. "Let's go. We don't want to be here."

"Who is he?" Molly demanded, grabbing Miyako's arm.

"Nobody good. We're not safe here," was all the redheaded girl would say. She just grabbed Miyako's other arm and tugged.

They hurried down the street, back towards Melanthios, when he was suddenly standing right in front of them.

"What's your hurry? I just wanted to talk to the little Princess of the Garden," he drawled, staring at Miyako. "After all, we have a lot to discuss, don't we, Princess?"

Miyako slowly backed up, Molly's and Lizzie's hands falling away from her arms. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Just –just stay away from me."

"Don't be like that." He reached out his hand, one finger lightly tracing her cheek.

Suddenly, Lizzie's hand flew forward and smacked him, right across his face.

"She told you to stay away. You're not wanted here, Ichirou," she told him.

Ichirou drew back, his eyes narrowing at Lizzie. "Stay out of this, Unazuki. I'd hate to have to hurt you."

"Too late for that. Get out of here," Lizzie snapped.

"What are you going to do?" He demanded. "With all these civilians around? You can't transform. You can't fight me as weak humans, and you know it. I can control the very Aethyr, the very life force, the primal energy of the world."

"And you're still a back of hot air, so full of himself he can't see what's right in front of his nose."

He raised a hand, as if to strike Lizzie, but Miyako shoved her out of the way.

"I don't care who you are. No one talks to my friends like that," she declared, bracing her feet apart, her arms akimbo.

Behind her, Molly, Isolde, and Usagi slowly released their charm bracelets, the call having already gone out to Melvin, Cleo, and Lia.

"My dear princess, I only wanted to talk. However, your friends are making things more difficult than they need to be, just like they always have." Ichirou grabbed her arm. "Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere with a creep like you!"

"Hey! The lady said to leave her alone!" A wide hand clamped down on Ichirou's arm, forcing him to release Miyako. "You really don't want to make a scene, buddy."

Lizzie didn't take her eyes of Ichirou. "Andrew, you don't want to get mixed up in this."

Andrew didn't budge, his eyes narrowing as he stared down Ichirou. The white-clad man growled, his free hand came flying up to punch Andrew. He stumbled back, quickly regaining his balance. Before he could return the punch, however, Darien and Kyle came running up.

"We could see the commotion from Melanthios," stated Kyle. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

Before anyone could answer, Ichirou changed before their very eyes. The white coat and cap were replaced by white plate armor, his head covered by an open-faced helmet.

Darien grabbed Andrew, and everyone slowly backed away. Before they could go too far, Ichirou snagged Miyako again, pulling her close, until she became a human shield in front of him.

Sailor Fire and Sailor Earth came running up, followed by Knight Metal.

"Keep back, all of you, or the girl will get it," snarled Ichirou.

He dropped a small ball of sparking, white lightning at his feet. It grew into a full-sized monster, still covered in the same lightning. And, at the same time, he'd vanished, still holding Miyako.

"No!" Darien yelled. "Miyako!"

"Fossilizing Cage!"

Sailor Earth tried to trap the lightning monster, but it fried through the stony barrier.

"Fire won't do any good," yelped Sailor Fire. "And metal…"

"Too conductive," Knight Metal replied. "We need something that can combat lightning."

"Like what?" Sailor Earth snapped.

The civilians were fleeing, anxious to get away from the creature.

"Shadows?" Knight Metal suggested.

Sailor Fire shook her head. "He won't come! He's refusing to help us fight, anymore."

Darien nodded to Kyle. He tightened his grip on Andrew and drug him towards Melanthios. If they could get there, he could cover for Harper. Surely the Shitennou of Souls could assist them. But, the monster wouldn't let them go. A barrier of lightning shot out, surrounding the group.

Lizzie glanced toward Sailor Fire, as if waiting for her command. The red-clad scout scanned the area, and then she nodded. They could deal with Andrew knowing, later.

Lizzie didn't waste any time.

"Soul of Wood!"

Molly and Isolde glanced at each other and then toward Usagi. The Moon Princess lifted her bracelet. In response, the other two pulled out their transformation pendants.

"Royal Star Power!"

"Soul of Water!"

"Soul of Wood!"

Kyle's ring flashed in the light, and he was once more clothed in the uniform of Kunzite, Shitennou of Swords. His blade swung out, passing harmlessly through the barrier.

"We've got to do something," muttered Andrew.

Darien glanced at him. "Like what? I don't have any special powers, and neither do you."

His oldest friend looking around, trying to find anything that might be of help. Yet, the image of Miyako's face, as the guy had taken her. He couldn't escape it. He could feel her eyes, boring into him. He barely registered Darien grabbing his arm again, pulling him out of the way of the monster's attack. The bolt of lightning barely missed him, instead being absorbed by the barrier.

The second time, however, Darien wasn't so quick. The bolt shot straight into him.

"Andrew!" Sailor Wood screamed.

He dropped to the ground, his face a mask of shock.

* * *

><p>"Let go of me!" Miyako kicked out at Ichirou, trying to break his grip. "What do you want?"<p>

"What should have been mine, long ago," he snarled. "And this time, no one is going to get in my way, especially that idiot, Motoki."

_Motoki? Black armor and tawny hair. A bouquet of roses mixed with gladiolus. A pair of swords flashing, one black as night, the other white with a riot of roses wrapped around the hilt. Standing at the top of the tower, the full moon shining down, watching him circle the base of the tower. A kindly smile, a hand outstretched to help her out of a tree. Motoki. A vow to protect her from the evil, to stand with her Elemental Warriors. A black clad figure kneeling before her feet. An ever present shadow, ever watchful, ever guarding. Motoki!_

She shrieked, finally wrenching her arm free, and she took off into the tunnels that surrounded them.

* * *

><p>The lightning crackled through him, the all-encompassing power, the life force of the world. The Aethyr. And Ichirou wasn't the only one who could command it. He opened himself up, and let the energy flow through him. A small, fat disc materialized in his hand.<p>

"Soul of Aethyr!"

He could feel it, feel himself transform. Images flashed through his mind. A girl in a black dress, with a gold ribbon around her waist and long, flowing gold sleeves, spinning around, laughing in the sunlight. A girl who looked a lot like Lizzie, dressed in brown and greyish green, a bow in her hands. A girl with short blonde hair and fiery blue eyes, glaring at him, her arms folded, as he rose to stand at the right hand of the girl in black and gold.

Black chainmail surrounded him. Leather boots rose to cover his feet, rising to just below his knees. His surcoat materialized, covering his chest and falling down to the tops of his boots, its sides split to allow freedom of movement.

When the transformation ended, he was once more on his feet, brown eyes narrowed.

"Alright, then. You want to play with lightning? So be it."

A bolt of lightning flew from his hands, straight through the monster. It gave a little fizzle, before moving to attack, again.

He didn't see the others quickly moving out of his way. All he could see was the monster. It was time to end this.

Rather than use the magical attack he could feel forming, he reached out and summoned his sword. A broadsword, it stood at two-thirds his height, the hilt growing from a black orb, with two black wings that spread out, each a hand's width wide. Wrapping both hands around hilt, he surged forward, slicing the monster in two.

There was a great deal more fizzling, as the monster and its barrier collapsed.

"Knight Aethyr," breathed Sailor Wood, smiling.

Only Darien and Kunzite noticed the dark cloud that covered Sailor Fire's face. They both could see more trouble coming.

Slowly, the armor disappeared, and Andrew stood there once more. But, his eyes were haunted, dark shadows moving through the usual, bright, golden brown. He stared down at the pocket watch in his hand, brushing at the latch with his thumb. It popped open. Inside, opposite the watch face, were two petals, one he knew was from a gladiolus, and the other from a violet rose.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze, turning to the other Elemental Warriors. "We're going to get her back. That is a promise."

* * *

><p>And, the Elemental Warriors are complete! Well, except for Miyako, who doesn't know Andrew is Knight Aethyr, kidnapped by Ichirou. Although, she's currently managed to escape him. Or has she? Stay tuned! Please, please, please review! I'm hoping for at least three before my next chapter, later this week. Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up by Friday! No guarantees, though.<p> 


	17. Chapter 17: Stars, a Sword, and a Key

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Sixteen: Stars, Swords, and a Key

"How are we supposed to get her back if we can't find her?" Lizzie demanded.

She and Isolde were sprawled out on the floor of the Melanthios' apartment. Cleo had curled herself into a chair, her gaze fixed on the toes of her emerald green socks. After Andrew's promise, Usagi and Darien had herded everyone up to the apartment above the bookstore. After all, it had been the most convenient place to get out of sight.

Lia had taken up Usagi's usual post, standing by the sliding glass doors, her arms crossed, as she leaned back against the door frame. "Not to mention we don't know exactly who or what we're up against."

"Ichirou Daiki Nori," stated Lizzie. "That's his name. He had the potential to become Knight Aethyr, but Andrew was chosen, instead. Plain and simple as that."

"And how do you know who he is?" Molly inquired.

Melvin's eyes narrowed, and he leaned farther over the back of Molly's chair. "You remember and know more than you're letting on, Lizzie."

She shook her head. "It's all scrambled bits and pieces. Like I'm looking at a jigsaw puzzle, and only a few pieces are put together, and nothing else wants to connect. Ichirou's identity just has the most pieces."

"Like you were entrusted with guarding certain bits of information," offered Isolde, "but not the whole thing. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't the case for all of us. Whatever happened, before, we had to forget. But, we couldn't forget, not completely. We all have pieces of what happened. We just have to put them together."

Lia nodded. "It sounds good in theory. But we've already tried putting the pieces together. Remember the interrogations the other week?" She shot a dark look at Usagi.

"Have we?" Molly asked. "Really, have we?"

Darien and Kyle looked around, noticing everyone else looked as confused as them.

"I think we've been putting the wrong pieces together," continued the Scout of Air.

Usagi's eyes widened, and she leaned forward from her seat on the couch, next to Darien. "I think I understand. Lia, your memories of being second-in-command, they came before or after you received your saber?"

"After," she replied, slowly. "Why?"

"Because we need to put our weapons together," replied Molly. "They are our keys to unlocking everything."

Usagi nodded. "But not just your weapons. Melvin, you said your sunglasses triggered something for you. And the same for Cleo. It was the glittering of your amulet that awakened some of your memories."

"The same for me," added Isolde, her own eyes narrowing. "I just didn't realize it at the time."

"But, I wouldn't recommend trying it here, or right now," cautioned Darien. "You're going to want someplace more secure."

"Like the training barn?" Cleo suggested, finally looking up at the others.

Andrew stared at her. "Training barn?"

Isolde and Lizzie both jumped. They'd actually managed to forget Andrew was even there. He'd been so quiet since their arrival.

"It's an abandoned barn outside of town," explained Usagi. "We do all our battle training out there."

"And how, exactly, do the two of you figure into this?" Andrew turned, fixing his gaze on his oldest friend and the man standing, protectively behind him and Usagi. "Or you, Usagi Moon?"

Darien turned his head slightly. *_What do we say?*_

Usagi's eyes widened even more. *_I think the bond has strengthened more than we thought. I heard that.*_

_*You heard what I was thinking?*_ He frowned.

_*Only what you were directing at me._ She answered. _I think, maybe, we need to tell Andrew and the others the truth. Well, everyone but Andrew already knows about you, but…*_

_*You want to tell them about you? About being Serena and Sailor Moon?*_

_*And Princess Serenity, yes. Right now, if Andrew calls back to Tokyo, I won't be there. In fact, no one but my Senshi will remember my existence at all, within a few days, unless I remind them. Pluto and I arranged it all. I didn't want my parents to worry.*_

He nodded. "That's that, then." He sighed. "Andrew, you remember Tuxedo Mask?"

Slowly his friend nodded.

"Well, I'm him. I was once Prince Endymion of the Golden Kingdom, while the Silver Millennium ruled over all the planets, except for Earth. We were in discussion about a treaty, allowing Earth to join the Silver Millennium, when Beryl attacked. She's the one behind all the attacks in Tokyo. All of us, from the days of the Silver Millennium and Golden Kingdom, were reincarnated to fight her, again. Kyle was head of my personal guard, back then. Unfortunately, we were separated, during this life, and have only recently been reunited.

"So, why come to Terrarose? The truth, Darien." There was a not-so-subtle look of hurt growing in Andrew's eyes.

"I got kidnapped by Beryl, Queen of the Negaverse, just after I found out everything," he stated. _Only part of that is a lie. I'd found out about Tuxedo Mask before then, but, still.._.he argued with himself. "It's a long, complicated story about the Queen of the Negaverse. Anyway, I managed to escape, and I found myself here. Finding Miyako was just an added bonus. She really is my little sister."

Usagi nodded, as she reached up to her bun. She pulled out the pins, giving a sigh of relief as her hair tumbled down past her knees. A few quick twists pulled her hair up into the far more comfortable two buns, with their longer pigtails.

"Serena?" Molly leapt to her feet.

"What?" Melvin yelped, stumbling back.

Lizzie's mouth flapped, but no sound was coming out. Andrew just stared, his expression solemn, and Serena found she couldn't meet his gaze.

"After Darien got kidnapped, I couldn't really function very well. You see, in the Silver Millennium, I was Princess Serenity of the Moon, betrothed to Prince Endymion." She reached out, taking his hand. "My mother, Queen Selenity, was the ruler of the Moon, and thus the entire Silver Millennium. So, in this life, I became Sailor Moon, in an effort to fight Beryl. The Scouts, back in Tokyo, were my guards, and, I had thought, my friends." Darien's hand tightened on hers. "It was my mother, Queen Selenity, who allowed all of us to be reincarnated to stop Beryl."

"Your Scouts. They're the reason you kept telling us not to trust each other, that our friendships might not hold, once we became Scouts," realized Isolde.

Serena nodded. "When they turned on me, I went to the one Scout I could still trust, Sailor Pluto. She's the one who brought me here, and gave me my new identity as Usagi Moon."

"And Sailor R?" Molly demanded, looking slightly hurt.

"No, that one I'm still trying to figure out," she admitted, fiddling with the silver bracelet.

"But that still explains a lot," commented Cleo. "I mean, you know what you're doing, because you've been doing this longer than the rest of us. I bet you've been in situations where you were trapped as a civilian, and couldn't transform."

"And there were times I thought I was trapped, but I really wasn't." She exchanged a smile with Darien. "But, yes, that's why I've said and done a lot of things. I've already been there. I haven't been the one kidnapped by an evil being…" She stopped and stared at Darien. "Really? You do realize you and your sister are a lot alike, when it comes to stuff like this. Both of you kidnapped by the second-in-command of the dark forces, taken to their headquarters, which is who-knows-where."

"She's right about that," grumbled Kyle.

Darien glared at him. "Like it's our fault we're targets?"

"Maybe it is," joked Serena, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Real mature, Meatball Head."

"So, the two of you are going back to that?" Lizzie shook her head.

Serena laughed, before resting her head on Darien's shoulder. She jumped back up, staring at her boyfriend of two lifetimes. "After all," she gave another pause, before she shuddered. "You do realize, Beryl wants you to be her king, and Ichirou definitely was interested in Miyako."

"And Harper and Owen, they were part of your guard, too, weren't they?" Andrew asked, trying to change the subject that had instantly darkened the room.

Darien nodded. "And still are, according to the two of them."

"Well, I think that's enough for today," decided Lia. "We'll all meet up, tomorrow afternoon, at the barn."

"We'll be there," agreed Serena.

Slowly, the Elemental Warriors trickled out, Kyle leaving in order to get Cleo home before he had to go to work. Soon, only Andrew and Lizzie were left, the young girl waiting at the door for her brother.

"You could have told me, sooner," stated the blonde man. "You could have trusted me."

"I didn't want to put you into any more danger, Andrew. Besides, I didn't find out, myself, until just before I got kidnapped. You remember those blackouts I used to have. That was when I became Tuxedo Mask."

Slowly, his best friend relaxed. "Alright, then. But be warned, Hurt Serena, and I'll come after you."

Serena glared at him. "I don't need you going all 'protective older brother' on me, Andrew. Besides, Darien would never hurt me. Not intentionally, at least."

"Unintentionally can't really be controlled," the ebon-haired man said with a grin.

Andrew just shook his head. He walked out the door, Lizzie trailing after him.

Once they had left, Darien turned, laying across the couch, Serena stretching out next to him. She cuddled as close as she could. Within moments, she was fast asleep. Darien couldn't help the smile that grew on his face, before he closed his eyes and joined her.

* * *

><p>Miyako struggled to her feet, as the door on her cell clanged shut. The cell was nothing more than a small cave, with an iron door across the opening. And there wasn't much in there, just a small pallet that functioned for her bed, and a narrow window, high up, that she couldn't see out of. The only reason she knew it was there was the beam of light that shone down from it. She had a feeling this wasn't where Ichirou had originally intended to place her, but her constant attempts to escape must have changed his mind.<p>

She'd tried to transform, after she'd managed to break free from his grasp. But something here was blocking her powers. It had to be the Void. Without her Warriors, she had almost no power at all before it. And, without powers, how was she going to escape? After all, it was after realizing she had no powers that Ichirou was able to recapture her, the first time. And, without her powers, he'd easily caught her the second time.

Struggling to the front of the cell, she found a metal plate, with a small loaf of bread, and a glass of water.

"Oh, well, at least it's food," she muttered, wolfing it down.

She had tried pressing the charms on her bracelet, but there'd been no answer from any of the others. Feeling slightly desperate, she wrapped her hand around the entire collection of charms, praying that they would be able to find her. Only then did she curl herself up into a ball, fighting back her tears.

"They'll find me," she muttered. "They have to find me."

But time drug on, and the light began to fade from the high window. She wrapped her coat more tightly around her.

The light was almost gone when she saw him. He was faint, transparent, as if he were a ghost. And he was sitting inside her cell, without the door having opened. She looked around, expecting a trick.

"There is no need to fear me. I can do you no harm. Not anymore. My name, milady, is Kyran Dubhan, and I have a story to tell you, if you're willing to listen," he explained.

She eyed him warily. "Are you working for Ichirou?"

"No, milady." She stared harder at him, but she felt he was sincere.

"What are you?"

"As you might have suspected, I am a ghost, a bit of tethered Aethyr, now. But once, I was something far different."

"I'm listening." She leaned back against the stone wall.

"It all begins, centuries before I was born, when the Golden Kingdom was still young."

* * *

><p>"Must they attack my café, again?" Harper grumbled.<p>

Seven of the lightning monsters filled the main area of the café. The customers lay on the floor, drained of all energy.

Harper lifted his ring, transforming instantly. He shoved his cape aside, lifting his scythe. The blade sliced through one of the creatures. It gave a little fizzle, but it still stood.

The doors slammed open, as the Elemental Warriors hurried inside, Kunzite and Darien on their heels.

"Where's Onyx?" Kunzite demanded of his fellow Shitennou.

"I don't know. He's been avoiding me," exclaimed Heliotrope.

Darien sighed. "You aren't the only one."

"Piercing Stones!"

At least Sailor Earth managed to do some damage to the creatures, even as Knight Aethyr swung his sword through two at the same time.

"What in the world?" Noland Baker came running in from the kitchen, his wide brown eyes taking in the scene.

One of the monsters gave a crackling laugh, before charging towards him

"No! Noland!" Sailor Air screamed.

But, surprisingly, Noland didn't flinch. Instead, a grin spread across his face. "You'll never guess what I found last night."

The monster paused, confused. Noland's grin only widened as he lifted his right hand. On his ring finger sparkled a gold ring, a griffin wrapped around a green stone.

Kunzite smirked as he recognized it.

"No way," declared Darien, shaking his head in disbelief.

Heliotrope just smiled as he tried to cut down another monster. "Should have seen that coming."

In a flash, Noland was dressed in a uniform identical to Kunzite's, even down to the same blue-grey lining on his cape. And, his hair, once a short ponytail, now fell in loose waves past his shoulders.

"Nephrite, Shitennou of the Stars," stated the brown-haired man. "At your service."

He flung a handful of metal objects. It wasn't until they struck the monsters that Darien recognized them as throwing stars. And the throwing stars were surprisingly effective.

The ebon-haired man looked over his shoulder, to see Owen, hiding in the doorway, his grip white-knuckled on Vista's harness.

"Owen, they need your help," declared the reincarnated prince, dropping down beside the boy.

But the raven-haired boy shook his head. "I can't. I can't control my powers. Not really."

Darien stared straight into the boy's blind eyes, through the mirrored sunglasses. "You listen to me, Owen. I have seen you do wonderful things with your powers. I believe in you, and I trust you. I know you can do this. I know you need to do this."

Slowly, Owen shook his head. "You don't know what I've done."

Owen rose and darted back up the stairs, disappearing into the apartment, Vista at his side.

"Aethyr Sanctuary!"

A cage of black lightning formed around Darien, just as a monster charged to attack him. He nodded his thanks to Knight Aethyr, before he moved farther back, trying to keep himself out of the way. Admittedly, Tuxedo Mask had never done much in a battle, but at least he'd been able to do _something_!

Between Nephrite and Knight Aethyr, though, it didn't take long before the last monster collapsed.

"Keeping us busy so we can't go looking for Miyako," grumbled Sailor Earth.

Sailor R nodded. "I know how that goes." She shot a look at Darien. "I know that all too well."

Nephrite caught sight of Darien and blanched. He started to move back towards the kitchen, only to be stopped by Kunzite's hand on his shoulder.

"Nice timing, Nephrite." Heliotrope laughed. "Don't you agree, your highness?"

Darien frowned. "I told you to quit calling me that!"

"How do you know he wasn't talking to me?" Sailor R joked as her henshin faded, which only served to make Nephrite even more nervous. "Honestly, Darien. I am royalty, too, remember?"

"P-princess Serenity?" Nephrite stammered out.

"Oh!" Her hands flew to her hair, pinned into its two buns. "I completely forgot!"

"Same old Serena." Sailor Air shook her head.

Darien just chuckled. "Only you, Meatball Head. Only you."

"Oh, and I suppose, no, wait, never mind. I wouldn't want to embarrass the Prince of the Golden Kingdom." She replied, even as she fixed her hair back into her 'Usagi' style.

Nephrite went, if it was possible, even paler.

"Don't worry, Neph," called Darien. "Everything's been explained to me. At least, as much as the four of us remember."

"Yes, but Operation: Decoy was my idea," yelped the tallest of the Shitennou. "I'm the one who picked them all out!"

"Neph, none of us could have known," stated Kunzite, still keeping his hand on his fellow warrior's shoulder. "I should have been paying more attention, myself. We were all distracted."

"Yeah, by the Inner Senshi," drawled Owen, who had emerged, once again. "And don't you deny it. And you, Heliotrope. Don't get me started on…umph!" His older brother clamped a hand over the youngest Shitennou's mouth.

"That's enough out of you, Erebus Gaius Rosarius," stated the crimson-eyed man.

"Rosarius?" Darien frowned, as Heliotrope smacked himself on the forehead.

"Nice one. Really, did you have to use my Golden Kingdom name?" Owen scowled, having been released.

"Your name before you took up being Onyx, I take it," stated Usagi.

He nodded. "We all had them. I mean, Kunzite used to be Horus, and Heliotrope used to be Hades Alexander. Oops."

"Alexander Rosarius, my uncle," muttered Darien. "Shitennou of Souls before Hades. He left court shortly after Mother died."

"He had his reasons," muttered Heliotrope.

"Alright, can we get back to the present, here?" Knight Metal demanded.

"Every Elemental Warrior to the training barn," ordered Sailor Fire. "We'll let Usagi, Darien, and the Shitennou fill in Nephrite/Noland."

The seven of them quickly filed back out, disappearing into the falling snow.

"Alright, let's start at the beginning," stated Darien, pulling out a chair. "Beryl's back."

* * *

><p>Sailor Fire walked over to the center of the training room floor. "Here should be good, right?"<p>

"Perfect," agreed Knight Aethyr.

One by one, they all pulled out their weapons and their transformation items.

Knight Aethyr stood, and began directing them. "Sailor Fire, on my right. Sailor Earth, on my left. Sailor Air, beside Sailor Fire, and Knight Metal on her other side. Sailor Wood, next to Sailor Earth, Sailor Water between Sailor Wood and Knight Metal."

"Who put you in charge?" Sailor Fire grumbled.

"Not now!" Sailor Earth snapped, holding out her sai and her ankh pendant.

Slowly, the others extended their items and weapons, as well.

Colored energy flooded out from them, mingling in the center of the ring they created. Slowly, the energy began to take a form, a long, alabaster sword, or at least, it looked almost like pure white alabaster, with eight roses wrapped around the hilt, in red, green, yellow, blue, brown, bronze, black and violet. But, no sooner had they all glimpsed the sword, it was gone, and they all blacked out.

* * *

><p>Miyako stared at Kyran as he finished his tale.<p>

"If I could go back and change things, I would. Anything at all to reverse my crimes," he confessed. "But, that isn't possible. All I can ask is that you find a way to fix my mistakes."

"But, I can't even get out of here. How am I supposed to do anything?" She demanded.

"That, I can help with," he began, only to be interrupted by a rainbow of light.

It spun around several times, before dissolving into a white sword, with eight roses around the hilt. It was a sword that was all too familiar to Miyako.

"The Rainbow Rose Sword," breathed the ebon-haired girl. "But, how?"

"My guess is your Elemental Warriors figured out how to unleash their memories," stated Kyran.

He held out his hand, and a small silver key materialized above it. Slowly, she reached out to take it. It was only the length of her index finger, including the small globe that rested on its top. The orb was completely transparent, revealing a tiny, violet rose inside. Around the base of the orb were a pair of white wings. It took her a few seconds to recognize it. It had been months since she had last seen it, the day she had first transformed into Sailor Element.

"This will open the door and guide you out of here, milady. May good fortune go with you." Kyran rose and bowed. "Don't transform until you are away from this place, for Ichirou will be able to sense you. Again, I offer my sincerest apologies." With that, he faded away.

Gripping the key in one hand and the sword in the other, Miyako turned to the cell door. She took a steadying breath and pointed the key towards the door. A thin beam of violet light shot from the key, unlocking the door from the inside. As soon as the door creaked open, Miyako shot out, running back down the corridor Ichirou had drug her down, less than two days ago. She ran, not daring to look behind her, even after she left the caves behind her.

As she exited the system of caverns, she gradually recognized where she was. The tall brambles, the dying trees, this was the forbidden area of the Garden, the place she'd always been told to avoid, at all costs. She kept running. Somehow, she knew exactly where she needed to go. And, yes, there they were, only a few yards from the edge of the forbidden area. She was running fast enough and she had enough heightened ability, even in her civilian form, to jump the crevice that separated the forbidden area from the rest of the Garden. There was a bridge, but she didn't dare waste time running to find it. Instead, she landed gently on the other side and kept going. Reaching the tall gates, made of twisting vines on metal frames, she shoved her key into the lock. The gates creaked open, and she slipped through, closing the door behind her. Sighing with relief, she turned and her jaw dropped.

This had to be Paradise, the sparkling waters, the crisp, clean air, the glorious sunshine. Only after several moments, taking in the sights, did she see the people walking towards her. Two women with pale hair, falling loose behind them, despite each of them having a pair of buns on the top of their heads, flanked a young boy. Icy white curls covered his head and fell around a horn of what looked like golden crystal.

"Who are you and how did you exit the Gates of the Garden?" the boy demanded.

"I'm Miyako Lambert, a protector of the Garden," she replied. "And you?"

"Helios, priest of Elysion, but you cannot remain here. Not without permission from my master," he informed her, staring intently into her eyes. "And you do not have that permission."

Her eyes widened at his name. "Helios and the Maenads, the guardians of Elysion and Endimon's Golden Crystal."

The two women turned and whispered to each other, not loud enough that Miyako could make out anything that they were saying.

"Please, I have to return to Terrarose. Can you help me?" Miyako asked, choosing to ignore the two Maenads.

Helios nodded, waving his hand. A golden gate appeared in a misty cloud. "Step though, and you'll be where you need to be."

"Thank you." Without hesitation, she ran through and found herself standing in the now empty café. She turned, hearing voices upstairs, and dashed up, into the living room of the Harper and Owen's apartment, the sword and key sliding effortlessly back into nothingness.

"So, how did those throwing stars of yours manage to work against those creatures?" Darien's voice demanded, drifting through the partially open door.

She was surprised to hear Noland's voice answer. "I'm not really sure. If I remember correctly, the throwing stars I used weren't my normal ones. I had a handful that Jupiter had created for me, charged with her lightning."

Miyako barged through the door, finding Kyle, Noland, Harper, Owen, Darien, and Usagi all sitting around, talking. Instantly, however, Darien was on his feet, and she threw herself into his arms. "Endimon!"

His eyes widened at the name, but his arms tightened around her. "I'm right here."

"We need to get the others," she managed, pulling back to wipe at the tears falling from her eyes. "There's something you all need to hear."

* * *

><p>Chapter Seventeen, finally completed! Sorry, I'm a day late, but yesterday ended up being really busy, so I didn't get a chance to get on and post. Stay tuned for the next chapter, to learn what Kyran told Miyako. I really felt it deserved its own chapter, and didn't really want to split this into two smaller chapters to do that. So, it's in its own chapter, coming up next, hopefully before next Friday, but I make no guarantees. Please, review, review, review!<p> 


	18. Chapter 18: The Garden of the Elements

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

A/N: One correction to the above divisions, the area from what is now Siberia to the modern state of Alaska, including the Bering Strait, is not part of any of the divisions. It is, as far as the Golden Kingdom is concerned, nearly uninhabitable and not worth the manpower that would be needed to control it. Also, the temple of Elysion, home to Helios, is less than two hours ride from the Royal Palace of Terra.

Chapter Seventeen: The Garden of the Elements

Many centuries ago, when the Golden Kingdom was still newly founded and the Silver Millennium had not yet taken up that name, there were a trio of people who sought to protect the solar system from all evil. King Endymion Gaius Terrian ruled the Golden Kingdom, aided by the first ever group of Shitennou. Queen Serena Lucinda ruled the Moon, and she had begun the Silver Alliance, later to become the Silver Millennium. And Queen Rosalinda Susanne Kobayashi ruled the already ancient Garden of the Elements, with her seven Elemental Warriors. Together, they held a great power, and vanquished many dark foes. But, there was one evil their power could not defeat, a power that came from within.

Endymion's son, Demetrius, wanted to marry Lilliana, the only daughter of Rosalinda. However, Lilliana had fallen for another, and she refused Demetrius. Angered by her refusal, he attempted to force Lilliana to marry him. However, Lilliana was protected by those chosen to become the next Elemental Warriors. Demetrius retaliated by bringing a battalion of soldiers towards the Garden. Knowing the consequences of such an attack would throw all magic out of alignment, Lilliana and her guard sacrificed themselves and sealed the Garden Gate, hiding it from all eyes, save those with the purity to see them. Heartbroken, Rosalinda gathered the fallen and placed them in a special tomb, forever sealing off that part of the Garden. Only then did she seek out a girl with the potential to inherit her powers and her crown. And, it was vowed, no Elemental Warrior or Garden Queen would ever be allowed to wed. The powers would only pass on to those who deserved them.

Because the Moon Queen, Serena Lucinda, and her daughter, Selene Luciana, sided with Rosalinda and Lilliana, Demetrius declared war on them, as well, a war that only ended with his death and the Truce of No Contact, established by his son, who took up his grandfather's name, Endymion, rather than the name of his father. And, for centuries, that truce held.

* * *

><p>"Endymion, come here," called Queen Gaia, waving her young son closer.<p>

Slowly, the four-year-old prince approached the bed, where his mother held a purple-wrapped bundle. He stared, unimpressed, at the tiny face that peaked out.

"This is your little sister, Tranquility," continued the queen.

And, then, the little princess smiled up at him, and he thought, maybe, a little sister wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

><p>"Hades, I have to try," declared the eight-year-old. "I can't just sit here and watch them die."<p>

"Alright," sighed the eleven-year-old. "I'll help. But don't try to pin it all on me when we get caught!"

Midnight blue met crimson. "Would I do that?"

"You've done it before, cousin."

The two of them crept down the hall, to the sickrooms of Queen Gaia and Princess Tranquility.

"No sign of Father?" Endymion asked.

Hades shrugged. "Your father, no. Mine, yes. Standing guard outside Aunt Gaia's room."

"Then, it'll be Quilla, first." The young prince nodded. "Come on."

They entered the small, incense-filled room. On the small bed in the center of the room, lay an even tinier figure.

"I'll stand guard," offered the older boy.

Endymion knelt by the side of his little sister. Her eyes blinked open, glazed over with fever. Taking her tiny hand in both of his, he focused, the way Apollo, the old Elysion priest, had been teaching him. He allowed his magic to flow from him into his little sister. He felt the sickness fleeing before the golden light, until it had almost all gone. That, however, was when Hades clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"We have to go. They're coming to check on Tranquility," he hissed.

Endymion nodded. They managed to squeeze through the narrow, hidden door that connected the two rooms, keeping themselves out of sight, until the last of the healers had left Queen Gaia's side. Then, the young prince ran up to grab her hand.

"Mother?"

She stared at him, her eyes bright, her smile trembling. "Don't exhaust yourself, my little Endymion. It's my time. Watch over your sister. Keep her safe. Promise me."

"I promise, Mother. But, I don't want you to go. Quilla and I need you. Father needs you, too," pleaded the boy. "Please, Mother."

"I'll always be with you," she promised, before her eyes drifted shut.

Slowly, her breathing stopped. The only sound that could be heard were the soft sobs coming from the eight-year-old. Carefully, his cousin approached and shepherded him back to the Royal Quarters, his own eyes welling up.

* * *

><p>"Endimon, you are he-re," called his little sister, running towards him.<p>

He smiled, sadly, as she threw her arms around him. Six years had passed, since that day. Quilla had lived, but, even now, he could still hear the remnants of the sickness that had almost claimed her life. She had to speak slowly, breaking each word into its individual syllables, in order to be understood. And there were still words she mispronounced. Endymion had become Endimon, even if she slowed down.

Their father had been furious and ashamed. As soon as the speech impediment was discovered, Quilla had been banished from the court, sent to live at the Elysion temple, where it was decided she would become one of the Maenads, and serve at the Temple. No one knew, of course, that Endymion blamed himself for what had happened. If he'd only been able to completely cure Quilla, she wouldn't have been banished, because there would have been nothing wrong with her speech.

Still, as often as he could, Endymion would sneak away to see her, trying to make it up to her. The ten-year-old's face always shone with delight when she heard her brother's horse approaching.

"I'm going to have to leave, soon, Quilla," he stated. "It's time I started looking for my Shitennou. Father is insisting."

"I whi-ill mi-iss ya-oo, Endimon," she stammered out.

His smile widened. "And I'll miss you, little Quilla. I'll be back, as soon as I can. But, I do have something for you, before I go."

He walked over to where he had left his horse. He returned, holding the reins to a black unicorn, with a golden mane, tail, hooves, and horn.

"This is Shadow Dancer, and he's yours."

She squealed and hugged him again.

* * *

><p>"<em>Tranquility! Princess Tranquility!"<em>

Blinking, the thirteen-year-old princess sat up in her narrow cot. She crept past the sleeping temple maidens, following the voice that called her name. It seemed to be coming from behind a pair of gates that led to nowhere.

She placed her hand against them, and they creaked open. On the other side, she found herself in an enormous garden, spreading out in every direction, as far as the eye could see.

"You are Princess Tranquility?" The speaker was a young woman, not much older than herself, but she was hunched over, clearly in pain.

Blonde hair wrapped around her head in a braided crown. A long white dress was covered in a long vest of purple fabric, laced from breast bone to below her waist, falling open over the skirt.

Quilla nodded, not daring to speak.

"Poor child. I'm sorry for what I must do to you. You have been chosen to become the next Princess of the Garden of the Elements. You must seek out your guardians, bring them to join you, here. You must protect the Garden, the solar system's source of all magic."

The princess shook her head. She couldn't do that. She was supposed to stay at the temple, become a Maenad. Her speech had gotten better, but she still couldn't speak very well. And, unless that disappeared, no one wanted to know about her.

"I wish there were another way." The woman continued.

She placed a hand on Quilla's cheek. Violet magic washed over her. When it faded, the woman was gone. But, in her place, was a very small, leather bound book.

Opening it, she read the first page.

_This book is set forth as a list of rules and explanations for the Princess of the Garden of the Elements._

* * *

><p>She rode Shadow Dancer down to the Southern Kingdom. The only possessions she carried were the leather-bound book and a short sword that her brother had taught her to use. She'd dressed in her best gown, black with its wide, gold sleeves, and set out from Elysion.<p>

She approached the main city, pulling the hood of her black cloak up over her head.

There were people bustling all through the streets, jostling everything. She didn't dare slide down off her mount, scared they might be separated. She'd never seen so many people in one place. Eventually, she managed to reach a small inn, where she secured a room for the night.

She was woken from her sleep by a pair of blades at her throat.

"Who are you?" A gruff voice demanded. "How do you hold so much magical power? You can't be a Terran."

"I- I am Qui-illa. I'm ju-st a tr-traveler," she managed, relieved to hear how normal her speech almost sounded.

"Just a traveler?" The second voice was female. "I don't buy it."

"Calm yourself, my friend. We don't want to cause the lady too much trouble, do we?" replied the first voice.

Slowly, Quilla looked at the pair, hidden in the hooded cloaks they wore, each pointing a sword at her.

"I do-on't mee-an any hu-arm," promised Quilla.

She looked at the shorter of the two, and something clicked in her mind.

"You – you are her. Kai-yah Sea-en-na, of the S-ow-th-ern Ka-ing-dom! I came he-ear to fi-ind you!"

The two blades dropped away.

"She's telling the truth," muttered the taller one. "Why are you looking for Kaiyah?"

Quilla rose to her feet. In slow, halting tones, she introduced herself as Tranquility, Princess of the Garden of the Elements and explained that Kaiyah was one of her Elemental Warriors.

The taller of her two attackers stammered out, "But the Garden is just a myth."

Quilla reached out and took Kaiyah's free hand. She could feel the power within her, the bright red, the warmth of Fire. She smiled, her other hand coming up to push back the other girl's hood, revealing short hair the color of gilded fire and vibrant, vivid blue eyes.

But, even as she felt Kaiyah's power, there was another source of magic in the room. The young man, she could now tell, had power almost as strong. But he was not of the Garden of the Elements. His power was tinged with gold, the same shade of gold as her brother's magic. Was this one of his Shitennou? She couldn't be certain, but she had a feeling he was.

Slowly, Kaiyah dropped to her knees, having sheathed her blade. "I vow to guard and protect you with my life, Princess."

Quilla nodded. "You knelt before me as Kaiyah, daughter of Lord Phillip Sienna of the Southern Kingdom, a member of the Assassins' Guild. You knelt as a child of Terra's Golden Kingdom. Rise before me now as Lady Kaiyah of the Tulip, the warrior, Sailor Fire, a child of the Garden of the Elements, and a member of my guard. Stand beside me and defend this world.

Kaiyah rose to her feet, before turning to smile at her companion. Both of them missed the shocked look that crossed Quilla's face as she clapped a hand over her mouth. Her voice had come out so clear and strong, something she couldn't remember ever happening before.

"We whi-ill lea-eve in the morn-ning," decided Quilla, her voice returning to normal. "We ha-ave a ways to go."

"Then, I'll say farewell, now," sighed Kaiyah. "I have all I'll need with me, already."

"Not everything," replied her companion.

He pulled a small mirror from his pocket.

"Pyrrhus, I can't take that! It belongs to you!" Kaiyah exclaimed.

"Mother would have wanted you to have it," he replied. "If you ever have need of me, little sister, you have only to call, and I _will_ answer. I promise."

* * *

><p>From the Southern Kingdom, they rode to the Western Kingdom, to find Ishtar, daughter of Grand Vizier Set, Lady of the Holly, and Sailor Earth, whose older brother, Horus, had left three years before, to become Kunzite, Shitennou of Swords.<p>

With Ishtar now riding on Quilla's left, they rode off, to board a boat to sail across to the Eastern Kingdom, where, among a bunch of traveling nomads, they found Naru Wayra, an orphaned child taken in by their clan. She knelt and rose as the Lady of the Lotus, Sailor Air. In the barren wastes, between the Eastern and Northern Kingdoms, a place later to be known as Siberia, they found Umino Osamu, the apprentice of the exiled alchemist and healer, who had once tried and failed to save the life of Queen Gaia. And, in the icy palace of the Northern Kingdom, they found Azura, younger sister to Llyr, Endymion's Shitennou of Snow, now called Zoicite. And Azura became the Lady of the Violet, Sailor Water, and the Garden's diplomat, always trying to keep the peace among her fellow Elemental Warriors.

And, then , there were only two left Back to Elysion, near the Gates of the Garden, a small family lived, a mother, a father, two sons, and a daughter. It was the daughter who first pulled Quilla to the family, a family that had long waited, protectors of the Garden and its history. The daughter, Unazuki, became Sailor Wood, and it was from her and her father that Quilla learned of the recent events that led to her appointment as the princess.

The last Princess of the Garden had been Rhiannon Morrigan, from a small village in the Northern Kingdom. She had been betrothed to a young man, Kyran Dubhan, a minor wizard. But, when she was chosen, the betrothal became null and void, for no Elemental Warrior and no Garden Princess is ever allowed to fall in love, or to wed. But Kyran had not taken the news well. He had tried to 'free' Rhiannon from her duties as Garden Princess, thinking she would be happier with him by her side. Instead, it had stripped most of her magic from her, taking all but the smallest drops. She had lost the greatest magic, the power to control the strongest of the Elements, the power of the Void, itself. Its power consumed Kyran and drove him mad, while the loss of her power had killed Rhiannon, leading to Quilla becoming the new Princess.

But, still, they needed the power of Aethyr, to complete the guard, and thus their quest. Then, at last, they would be strong enough to reclaim the Void from Kyran.

Unazuki's oldest brother, Ichirou, had displayed a great deal of talent for wielding the Aethyr, and he was fond of showing off for the 'beautiful princess,' despite knowing the rules. But, one of his displays got away from him. It would have caused a great deal of destruction, except for one thing. The second son had the power to control Aethyr as well. He managed to absorb the wayward energy and redirect it into something harmless, a simple light show in the sky.

And, it was seen, his control and abilities were greater. It would be this second son, Motoki, who would kneel to become Knight Aethyr, Lord of the Gladiolus, and to Sailor Fire's annoyance, become Quilla's true second-in-command.

Ichirou refused to accept Quilla's decision to choose Motoki over him, and he left.

* * *

><p>"Quilla! Quilla, are you here?" Endymion's voice rang across the clearing, near the Elysion temple.<p>

Having been warned by Sailors Air and Earth that he was coming, Quilla hurried out from the Garden's gates, running down to her brother. It had been six long years since she had last seen him. She squealed as he caught her and spun her around. It was only when he set her down, that Quilla realized her brother hadn't come alone.

His companion was a girl, only about the same age as Quilla, herself. Pale, golden blonde hair fell in pigtails from two buns on the top of her head. And a crescent moon graced the center of the girl's forehead.

"Quilla, I would like you to meet Serenity, Princess of the Moon and the Silver Millennium," stated Endymion. "My betrothed."

"Well, we will be, once your father and my mother agree to it," laughed Serenity.

Quilla mouthed the name a few times, before she tried to speak it. "Srenty?"

She waited for the Moon Princess to be shocked, or angry over the mispronunciation of her name. But, instead, the other princess smiled. "Close enough. I actually like that better than my real name, anyway."

Cautiously, Quilla gave a smile. But, before they left, she already knew she and Serenity would be the greatest of friends, one day soon. And, every time Serenity managed to come down to Terra, she always managed to find a few minutes to come to the Elysion temple, to spend time with Quilla. They'd even altered Serenity's hairstyle and hid her crescent moon, before the two of them, disguised as Terran peasants, had visited the nearby village.

* * *

><p>But, it would not last. Within weeks of their first meeting, Beryl had begun her assault on the Golden Kingdom, of which Quilla was only vaguely aware. She had her hands full with her Elemental Warriors, who had finally come face-to-face with the combined forces of Kyran and Ichirou. One by one, the Elemental Warriors began to fall. Their power hadn't been strong enough, after all. And, with each death, their weapons and henshin items had returned to her. Still, Unazuki, Quilla and Motoki were still fighting when the last pieces fell apart. Quilla felt her brother's death on the Moon. Her anger and grief led to a violent outburst, sending Kyran and Ichirou into the depths of the Void, from which she hoped they would never return. Then, she reached out to the grieving Queen Selenity of the Moon.<p>

"Let us join our power. Let us all be reborn in a new time, to hopefully lead a happier life," offered Quilla. "Let the Garden and the Moon work together to do this."

Queen Selenity nodded. And thus, the Garden was sealed, and all were reborn, save for the Moon Queen, who gave her life in exchange. But, with the Garden sealed, there were none to make sure Kyran and Ichirou stayed in the Void, and eventually, they emerged again, in the same time when everyone else had been reincarnated.

* * *

><p>Backstory! Hopefully, everything makes sense. I tried to make Quilla understandable, even with her speech impediment. If you aren't quite sure what she said, just ask and I can let you know. As always, I love questions, comments, and things of that nature!<p>

AN 6/15/14 Changed Queen Rosalinda's last name.


	19. Chapter 19: Final Countdown

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Nineteen: Final Countdown

"And that brings us up to today," concluded Miyako.

"Oh, Quilla!" Usagi leapt to her feet and hugged the ebon-haired girl. "And we were so busy being happy together. I never realized how sad you were."

Miyako slowly blinked twice. "Srenty?"

"You better believe it!"

Miyako threw her arms around the blonde. "This is so fantastic."

"Jadeite's going to have some questions to answer, when we find him," growled Kyle.

Harper frowned. "About what? We already knew he used to be a Royal Assassin."

"Not that," replied the white-haired man, irritably. "He knew about Tranquility and the Garden! I thought the three of us were the only Shitennou who knew about Tranquility's existence." He motioned to Harper, Owen, and himself. "Now, I find out Jadeite met her and never said anything."

* * *

><p>"You didn't tell them everything."<p>

Somehow, after everyone else had left, Andrew had managed to corner her, leaving the two of them alone.

"Well, you'd hardly want to take on both of my brothers for what happened in our past life," she stated, not looking up at him. "Not to mention Lia's reaction, after all the trouble we went to, to hide it from her."

"Is that all it is? Something from our past life?"

"According to Lizzie, you have a girlfriend, and…"

His hand came up to lift her chin. "Rita isn't my girlfriend. She and I agreed to tell people that, so they'd leave the two of us alone. She's got a crush on someone else, but things can't work out between the two of them. And," he paused, before staring straight into her eyes, "I've always been waiting for you."

"But, it's still forbidden!"

"And you're going to deny Molly and Melvin a chance, too? You remember how they were. I've seen them in this life, too, Miyako."

"It only brought tragedy to Princess Lilliana." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"And not following our hearts will only lead _us_ to tragedy." He cupped her face, his thumbs wiping away her tears. "Let me at least get a chance to know Miyako. Please, give yourself a chance to know me. Give us a chance before you throw it all away."

"And, if it doesn't work?"

"Then I will content myself to be your friend and protector. Nothing more."

She sighed. "Alright, but I can't protect you from Darien or Kyle."

"I wouldn't ask you to try."

* * *

><p>Usagi dropped down into the open chair between Darien and Noland. The Elemental Warriors had all claimed the first row, leaving Usagi, Darien, and the four Shitennou in the second. Kyle had taken the aisle seat, with Owen and Harper sitting closest to the outside of the amphitheater. Apparently, that was one more tradition. The Winter Ballet was performed outside, in the cold.<p>

Darien wrapped an arm around Usagi, and she cuddled closer, tucking her head under his chin. Noland just rolled his eyes at the pair. Though, he was glad to see the Moon Princess behaving more like her old self. She'd been far too reserved around them all.

The moon was already creeping higher into the sky.

"What's going on? It should have started by now," whispered Cleo.

Miyako shrugged. "No distress call from Isolde, and I don't feel anything. Probably just some technical difficulties."

* * *

><p>"Madam Claire, what are we going to do?" A young girl whined. "The curtain is to go up, and Jessica…"<p>

"Jessica isn't here," complained another girl.

Madam Claire frowned. "Mademoiselle Isolde, geet over to costumes. You are going on az Lady Swann. Clarisse, you take up Lady Charlotte. Ze show muzz go on!"

Isolde hurried over to where Mrs. Marshall, one of the ballerina's mothers, was handling costumes.

"At least the first costumes are similar," sighed Mrs. Marshall. "What Jessica's thinking, I don't know."

She helped Isolde change skirts and slid the circlet into her hair, pinning it as much as she dared.

"Go!"

Isolde hurried to her place, nodding to Clarisse, who was now dressed in the skirt she'd been wearing, moments before.

The lights came on and the curtain went up. The show had begun.

* * *

><p>The stage lights had just dimmed for intermission, and Mrs. Marshall was helping Isolde finish changing into the all-white costume Lady Swann would wear for most of the rest of the ballet.<p>

"Is there still no sight of Jessica?" Isolde asked. Sure, she was thrilled to be Lady Swann, but she and Jessica had been friendly rivals for years.

Mrs. Marshall shook her head. "Not a peep. We've tried calling, but no answer."

Just then, all the lights went out.

"Do not panic, ladies," called out Mrs. Marshall. "They'll have it fixed in no time."

Isolde turned, wringing her hands together. She'd feel better if she had her pendant, or even her bracelet with her, but, of course, no jewelry, save stud earrings, was allowed during a performance. It posed too much of a risk to the other dancers. It surprised her how vulnerable she felt without them.

* * *

><p>"Miyako? What is it?" Lia demanded, looking over at the ebon-haired girl.<p>

At the power outage, cell phones had immediately come out and been flipped open, lighting up a number of places in the amphitheater, in addition to the light coming from the almost full moon overhead.

Miyako, however, appeared almost frozen, her hands clenched into fists.

Darien leaned forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned to face him.

"Sorry. Bad memories," she explained.

Cleo and Kyle nodded, understanding instantly.

"There was a power outage, when they came to tell us about our parents," explained Cleo, keeping her voice low.

Usagi nodded. She reached forward and touched Miyako's other shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.

Only then did Darien glance over towards Harper and Owen. The younger Melanthios had curled himself into a ball. Harper had bent low, whispering in his brother's ear, soft enough no one else could hear what he said. Slowly, the boy relaxed, and the lights started to flicker back on.

Darien caught Harper's eye and sent him a puzzled look. The other man just shook his head, holding a finger to his lips. The Earth Prince leaned back, taking Usagi's hand in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Although, he resolved to get some answers out of Harper and Owen, soon.

The rest of the performance went off without a hitch, and everyone cheered after the finale. But Owen still looked shaken as Harper guided him upstairs and into his bedroom, after they'd made it back to the apartment.

"I think everyone's waiting for an explanation, Harper," growled Darien.

Harper shrugged. "Then deal with disappointment."

"Not when it's threatening everyone's safety, Hades!"

Harper whirled and glared at him. "I'm handling it, just like I've been handling it every day since the destruction of the Golden Kingdom!"

"Let me help!"

"There's nothing you can do! He's my little brother and thus my responsibility! Not yours!"

"Fine!"

Darien stormed out the door, not really caring where he went, at the moment. He just needed the space. So, he wasn't entirely surprised when he ended up outside Usagi's door. He didn't even have to knock. She was already opening the door and pulling him inside.

The couch had been replaced with a pull-out bed, already made up. He nodded his thanks, as he dropped down onto it.

"What am I going to do? I know something's happening. Something's going on with Owen, but Harper won't let me help. He's 'handling it.' But he's not! And I have Kunzite and Nephrite back, but I'm sure Zoicite and Jadeite are out there, somewhere. I just…"

"When all this is over, when Ichirou is defeated, go look for them! Take Kunzite and Nephrite and go find the last of your Shitennou!"

"But, what about Beryl? And you know Kyle won't leave Miyako and Cleo behind."

"Trista and I can move in with them. And, wouldn't it make more sense for us to face Beryl with a full force of Shitennou?"

He nodded. "But I don't have a full force, not with Owen acting like he is."

"We'll figure it out, Darien. I promise. Get some sleep. We'll think better with clearer heads in the morning."

* * *

><p>But things really weren't any better the next morning. By the end of the day, Darien was fed up enough with Harper to turn around and pack a couple of bags, essentially moving out of the Melanthios apartment. That night, he once again crashed on the pull-out bed at Usagi's apartment.<p>

"Come on," she declared, Tuesday morning. "You need a real break. Let's go get a Christmas tree! And decorations!"

He lifted one eyebrow. "A Christmas tree?"

"Yes! I want to actually decorate for Christmas. And, tonight, let's go ice skating! We used to ice skate, all the time, back on the Moon!"

"And you really want to ice skate."

She nodded, cheerfully.

And so, Darien found himself walking through a field covered in trees, looking for his girlfriend's perfect Christmas tree.

"It can't be too tall, or it'll never fit in my apartment. But, I don't want it to be too small, either," she muttered.

It actually surprised Darien, how relaxing the smell of pine could be. And how much fun it was to help Usagi string lights around it, resulting in several unexpected laughs and kisses.

Miyako had stopped by, bringing with her a small box of ornaments.

"I'm guessing these were Mom and Dad's," she explained. "I found them tucked back with some other stuff from them. I figured, our tree's full enough. You should have them."

"Thanks," he'd muttered, taking the box, very carefully.

* * *

><p>"Come on. We could all use a break," declared Usagi. "Tuesday is open skating night. Besides, we' all took off to see Isolde perform, yesterday."<p>

"Yes, but that's different," argued Lia.

"And how is that different?"

Lia folded her arms. "It just is!"

Cleo laughed. "Lia can't skate."

"I can skate!" Lia protested.

"Yeah," agreed Miyako, a smile on her face. "Badly."

"Come on. I bet even Owen's a better skater than you," snorted Cleo.

"Just for that, we will go!" The Fire Scout snapped.

* * *

><p>That night, he and Usagi had joined up with Miyako and the other Elemental Warriors at the skating rink. Everyone had laughed, including Melvin, when the Warrior of Metal had flung himself all the way across the rink.<p>

Lia actually hadn't been too bad, once they'd gotten her to relax, a little. But, even Isolde, who was as graceful on skates as she was in toe shoes, couldn't keep up with Usagi. The disguised Moon Princess spun and twirled like one born to skate. She turned and, for just a moment, he could have sworn it was Princess Serenity flying across the ice. She smiled and held her hand out to him. Neither of them bothered to pay any attention to the crowd that drew back to watch the pair skate.

The only downside was that Harper and Owen hadn't bothered to join them. But, somehow, he knew it was for the best. They didn't need another fight, not tonight.

* * *

><p>"That's it!" Nephrite yelled out, as Sailor Wood landed on the finish line, and Sailor R nodded her approval. "Well done. Alright, Cleo. You're up next."<p>

Lizzie dropped down, next to Andrew. "What are you working on?"

"Nothing," he said, tilting the notebook away from her.

"Come on. I've been your little sister in two lifetimes, Andrew. I know when you're hiding something."

"Really, it's nothing at all." He closed the book and slid it back into his bag. "I promised Aunt Maria I'd pick up some stuff at the store. You need anything?"

"Nope."

He shrugged and walked off, pulling the keys to his uncle's car out of his pocket.

Just after he left, Darien plopped down next to Lizzie, exhausted, still holding his training foil. "Never ask Kyle to train you to do anything."

He looked over to where his Shitennou was now drilling Sailor Element on using her Rainbow Rose Sword.

"Hey, Darien, have you noticed anything odd with Andrew, recently?" Lizzie asked, tracing designs on the floor with her index finger. "Like he's hiding something?"

The Earth Prince sighed. "I haven't really spent a lot of time with him, lately. But, yeah, he always seems pretty distracted, lately."

A short while later, Miyako finished her drills, bowed to Kunzite, and headed for the door. The Terran general moved to join Nephrite at the obstacle course, motioning to Sailor R that she could go. The blonde nodded to him, before darting over to Darien.

"Well, I'm done for today." She grinned.

Darien nodded. "Yeah, time to get out of here, for a while."

"Actually." Lizzie hesitated. "You wouldn't want to help me spy on Andrew, would you?"

"Why?" Usagi began, before shaking her head. "Never mind. I'm not sure I want to know."

* * *

><p>"I feel like I'm back in the Garden, sneaking around like this," muttered Miyako.<p>

She and Andrew walked through the snow-covered park, keeping to the most isolated paths.

"I know what you mean." Andrew gave a dry chuckle. "It's been what, almost a week, now?"

She nodded. "Lizzie still pestering you?"

"Yeah, and Darien started asking questions, too. I hate lying to him. He's my best friend, and here I am, sneaking around behind his back."

"The question is why?"

They both whirled to find Darien, leaning against one of the icy trees.

"I'm quite curious as to why the two of you are insisting on sneaking around and hiding things from me," he continued, stepping onto the path. "Do the two of you not trust me with this? You don't trust your older brother?" He glared at Miyako. "Or your best friend?" He turned to Andrew.

Miyako stared down at the frosty pavement, mostly to avoid the look of betrayal in her brother's eyes. "It's forbidden."

"So were Endymion and I," remarked Usagi, coming out to join them.

Lizzie nodded, dropping out of the overhead branches. "Hey, it only became forbidden out of a Queen's grief. That doesn't mean the two of you have to be miserable. I'm sure everyone else will understand, too."

"Well, I don't know about Kyle," mused Darien. "Though he'll probably second what I'm about to say." He pinned Andrew with a solemn stare. "Break her heart, and you'll answer to me. Clear?"

Andrew gulped, nervously.

"Oh, and Kyle asked me to remind you," added Lizzie, with a smirk. "He wants to drill you, tomorrow, with that broadsword of yours."

Her brother paled, even further.

* * *

><p>"So, we know Ichirou is hiding out in the forbidden area of the Garden," stated Lia. "In the vast complex of tunnels created to protect Princess Lilliana and her guard."<p>

"And he wants Miyako, or Princess Tranquility," added Cleo.

Isolde nodded. "And he's got the powers of both Aethyr and the Void, now that he's killed Kyran."

"But his grip on the Void won't be very strong," stated Miyako. "He's only recently gained it, and it's probably still fighting him. The Void doesn't like to be controlled or contained, except by a wielder it chooses. I might be able to call it back from him, if you can get me the opening. All we have to do is lure him someplace, use me as bait to draw him out."

"It's too risky, exposing you like that." Lia shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"That's not your decision to make, Lia," stated Miyako, staring down her friend.

"As the commander of your guard…" the blonde began.

"But you're not," interrupted Molly.

The fire scout whirled on her. "Excuse me?"

"You're not the commander of the guard," stated Isolde, her green eyes widening. "You were, but only because our commander was the last revealed. Aethyr commands, not Fire, always."

"So, you're telling me that Andrew is the commander of the Elemental Warriors?" Noland frowned.

"After Miyako, yes," replied Andrew. "Then Fire follows me, with Earth after her."

"So, really," the brunette Shitennou continued, "it's up to you and Miyako, if we come up with a plan using her as bait?"

"No! I won't stand for it," snapped Lia. "You're with me on this, right, Cleo?"

The silvery-blonde nodded. "No way we let our princess take that risk."

"What if it wasn't Miyako, actually?" Usagi offered, thinking it was a pity Miyako didn't have an almost doppelgänger, like she had with Mina. Though, maybe it'd be possible to use the Luna Disguise Pen?

"What? One of us pretends to be her?" Lizzie frowned. "It would never fool Ichirou."

Darien grinned, catching on, though with a different idea. "No, not one of you. Molly, you can create illusions, right?"

The orange-haired girl nodded. "But that's all they are. That would last all of two seconds."

"Not if Aethyr helped," he answered.

Andrew nodded. "I get it. Molly's illusion, with enough Aethyr tethered to it, could actually appear to me Miyako."

Usagi nodded, eagerly. That would be even better than the idea she'd been considering.

"Not Miyako," countered Kyle. "Princess Tranquility."

* * *

><p>Sorry, I'm a day late. Since this keeps happening, I don't figure the last chapter will be up until next Saturday. Also, thank you to my anonymous reviewer who pointed out that I had misnumbered the last chapter! I had already figured out the chapters and had them numbered in their own documents, when I added in a chapter, and I forgot to change it. It's fixed now, though!<p>

Up next, the battle against Ichirou! And a handful of other things. See you next week!


	20. Chapter 20: Void Triumphant

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Miyako, Cleo, Lia, Harper, and Owen, as well as a few others, are only figments that have escaped from my imagination. Another little note, I'm going back to the divisions of Terra I used back in by other Sailor Moon stories, so, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Terra are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian.

Chapter Twenty: Void Triumphant

"Are we ready for this?" Miyako inquired.

Her Elemental Warriors surrounded her, along with Usagi.

Darien, Kyle, and Noland stood a few feet away.

"Good luck, little sister," called the ebon-haired man. "Go get him."

Miyako nodded, hugging first Darien and then Kyle. Noland pulled Molly in, before reaching out to ruffle Melvin's hair. After releasing his little sister, Darien turned to Usagi. She gave him the brightest smile she could, but the light didn't quite reach her eyes. He tipped up her face with one finger and bent close to her.

"I believe in you and all you can do, my princess. No matter whether you're Serena or Usagi. Remember that. And, even though I'm not going with you," he pulled out the Star Locket, draping it around her neck. "I will _always_ be with you, alright?"

She nodded, pulling him down to kiss him.

"Alright, enough with the lovey-dovey," declared Lia. "Let's get this show on the road."

"You're just jealous," laughed Lizzie, darting over to take her place, and avoiding the Fire Scout's glare.

Miyako nodded to the others, lifting her broach towards the sky.

"Soul of the Elements!"

"Soul of Aethyr!"

"Soul of Fire!"

"Soul of Earth!"

"Soul of Air!"

"Soul of Metal!"

"Soul of Water!"

"Soul of Wood!"

"Royal Star Magic!"

Sailor Element lifted the key Kyran had given her, lifting it high over her head.

"Gate of the Garden, I summon thee. Come to this place, by the power of my key!"

Slowly, a fog arose, in the middle of which stood a tall metal gate, covered in vines. Sailor Element touched her key to the lock and the Gate swung open. Together, the nine warriors charged through, and the Gate vanished.

* * *

><p>They emerged into the Garden, and all of them froze. Yes, everything around them was green and growing, but there was no sense of order. Everything grew wherever it wanted. The remnants of carefully cultivated paths could be seen, overgrown with weeds. Delicate mosaics had crumbled.<p>

"I was in such a hurry, before. I didn't realize how bad the rest of the Garden had become," murmured Sailor Element.

Sailor R placed a hand on her shoulder. "At least it's still growing."

The ebon-haired scout nodded, sadly. Straightening her shoulders, she led them farther in. They'd already decided the best place to make their stand was at the base of the tower, the center of the Garden.

But, as they continued onward, Sailor Element despaired. If this was the state of the Garden, she dreaded seeing the Tower. So many centuries of neglect, everything once familiar, gone, unrecognizable.

The farther they walked, though, that all changed, and the Garden still retained some of its former glory. There were fewer weeds, the paths more clearly marked. Mosaics were still intact, topiaries still held their shapes, the closer they got to the Tower.

And there, there were the violets that Azura had so carefully tended. And there, the great oak where Unazuki had often hidden. And the elm where she had often sat, the one Motoki had often helped her down from. Yes, here was the Garden she remembered.

Just ahead, there stood the black tower that had become her home. The only damage here was the top floor of the tower, where she had been standing when Kaiyah had fallen to Ichirou's blade, and Motoki had charged forward to face him and Kyran, where she had been standing when she had felt Endymion's death, where she had been standing as she reached out to Queen Selenity and begged for her assistance.

"There," she said, pointing to the ruined section. "That's where you'll need to cast your illusion, Sailor Air."

The yellow-clad scout nodded, lifting her hands.

"Aerial Illusions!"

Even as the illusion took form, she could feel Knight Aethyr behind her, his energy flowing upward, to mimic her signature in the Aethyr. She stared, fingers crossed, at the girl standing up there, dressed in her black dress with the trailing gold sleeves, her thin gold grown resting on her head, the black braid trailing down her back.

"Think he'll fall for it?" Sailor Earth whispered.

Sailor Fire shrugged. "We can only hope."

No sooner had she spoken, a blindingly white figure came charging towards the tower, stopping at its base to gaze up at their illusion. And it fixed him with a regal, icy glare.

* * *

><p>Darien, Noland, and Kyle tried to laugh and joke, to appear totally at ease as they headed towards Kyle's house. Although Kyle and Noland were keeping an eye out for any surprises from Ichirou. However, all three paused as they approached the house. Sitting on the front step, Vista by his side, was Owen.<p>

The usually still boy was tapping his foot, while Vista nudged at his hand. The shades dangled from his other hand, his milky eyes closed. They slowly opened, as he heard the three of them approach.

"Harper's wrong. We're not handling this. Not really," sighed the boy. "I think it's time you knew what happened, on the day King Endymion and Lord Alexander Rosarius died, the day the Golden Kingdom fell."

* * *

><p>The illusion of Princess Tranquility stared down at Ichirou, as the Elemental Warriors spread out, moving into position. Ichirou leapt upward, reaching for the figure in black and gold, but it rippled and vanished.<p>

Ichirou howled as he landed, turning to race back the way he had come. But, he couldn't, because a figure in black armor, holding an enormous broadsword, blocked his path.

"Motoki!" Ichirou spat out.

Knight Aethyr nodded. "It's been a long time, Ichirou."

The white armored master of Aethyr drew his own sword. "You should never have returned, Motoki. You never should have taken my position. I was destined to be Knight Aethyr. I spent my whole life, training to be chosen! And then you came along. A hapless orphan, with no clue who he was, who could summon greater power than me! My parents should have let you die!"

"Destiny and Fate are funny things, Ichirou," replied Knight Aethyr. "We can never know what they truly have in store for us. But we cannot dictate to them. We can only choose to follow the paths they give us. You and I know that."

"Then Destiny must have decided to make us enemies and give me greater power than you." Ichirou lifted his sword. "I now control the Void, the greatest Element of them all." He swung the blade, sending a line of nothingness through the air.

Knight Aethyr dove, and the line cut through a tree behind him, dissolving everything it touched.

Sailor Element pressed the key between her hands, nodding to the other Elemental Warriors. They had to keep Ichirou distracted! She focused on the connection between the key, the Void, and himself, trying to pull the wild element back under control.

"Piercing Stones!"

Sailor Earth's attack sent Ichirou stumbling back.

"Encircling Firestorm!"

"Cloud Cyclone!"

Sailor Air's attack lifted the flames of Sailor Fire's blaze, leading them to spin closer to Ichirou. He forced open a small sphere of nothingness in order to absorb the attack.

"Frigid Whirlpool!"

"Leaf Gale!"

"Copper Sentinel Strike!"

"Virtuous Star Shower!"

A barrier of Aethyr materialized to block the simultaneous attacks. Sailor Earth gave a slight smile and nodded to Knight Aethyr, as she sent another stone barrage, joining Sailor Air and Sailor Fire. With the two attacks coming from separate directions, Knight Aethyr lifted his sword.

"Energy Meditation!"

The attack, normally concentrated through his hand, was amplified as it flowed through the ancient weapon, sending its power straight at Ichirou.

* * *

><p>"It was after the rest of you were taken," began Owen. "Endymion had already been sent to the Moon, to ask for Queen Selenity's assistance. Heliotrope was fighting back against Beryl's invasion force. I'd been ordered back to the palace, to guard the king. But…" he trailed off.<p>

Darien reached out a hand, placing it on the boy's shoulder.

"It was already too late," realized Kyle.

Owen nodded. "Somehow, Beryl had already gotten into the palace. Everyone was frozen, like they'd been crystalized. At least, that's how it seemed, looking through Vista's eyes. I couldn't tell if they were dead or alive. And then, we found the throne room." His shoulders shook, and Vista leaned into him. "They were both already dead, the king and my father. And then, I found Helios. He'd been badly wounded, but he was still alive. One of Beryl's youma appeared, and I just lost control of my powers. For a while, I thought I'd killed Helios, when I did that, until Heliotrope told me he'd been able to seal off the Elysion temple, sending Helios back to the Maenads, so they could heal him. But, it took decades before I finally believed him."

"And you've been losing control of your powers again," muttered Noland.

"That's why I haven't been helping. That day, at Terrarose High, I was fighting so hard to stay in control, that I panicked and almost destroyed everything. Harper had to take me down to the Underworld until I calmed down. But, I haven't been able to completely pull them back under control. And that makes me a liability to you all."

"Owen, you don't have to try and handle this all on your own. We can help, if you'll let us," explained Noland. "We all have to find ways to control our powers, but shutting everyone out doesn't work. Right, Kyle?' He gave the head Shitennou a knowing look.

Kyle grimaced, but he nodded. "Come on. We've got some work to do."

* * *

><p>Sailor Element felt the attack slam into Ichirou, the Aethyr struggling to force his surrender, as Ichirou was forced to split his focus between the Void and the Aethyr he was using to shield himself from the others. She gave the Void another, harder, tug, and, suddenly, it came loose, surging over to her, spreading until its power filled her from her toes to the crown of her head. She could feel the key vibrating in her hands, but she forced it to be still. Shifting so the key was only held in her left hand, she summoned her Rainbow Rose Sword.<p>

"Elemental Rose Tempest!"

A whirlwind, created of multi-colored rose petals, flew from the white blade, smashing into Ichirou, sending him flying. He crumpled at the base of a large rowan tree, though he was still alive. Slowly, he struggled to his feet.

The key called to her, demanding she use its power, to send all the power of the Void at him, even if it would cost her life. But, she refused, sending both key and sword back to their resting places. She nodded to Sailor R, who drew her wand.

"All together!" Sailor Element yelled.

"Majestic Star Healing!"

"Elemental Energy Strike!"

"Piercing Stones!"

"Frigid Whirlpool!"

"Encircling Firestorm!"

"Cloud Cyclone!"

"Copper Sentinel Strike!"

"Vine Tracker!"

"Aethyr Sanctuary!"

The nine attacks converged on Ichirou, and then, he was gone. Nothing remained of the white-clad warrior.

Sailor Element turned to Knight Aethyr and gave him the brightest smile she could, before fainting in his arms. He carried her back towards the gate, the rest of the Elemental Warriors and Sailor R surrounding them. They managed to wake the ebon-haired girl, long enough for her to open the gate, but then she drifted back to unconsciousness.

Andrew reluctantly relinquished her to Kyle, upon their return to the Lambert house. Darien patted him on the shoulder, before he walked Usagi back to her apartment, where he, again, was crashing on the couch.

* * *

><p>Isolde had been surprised, the day after they defeated Ichirou, to receive a plane ticket to New York, to see her grandparents and her brother. She'd only gotten back the day before the Snowflake Ball, talking non-stop about how wonderful it had been to get to see them.<p>

Molly and Melvin had celebrated with Noland and Colonel Baker, who decided Christmas was a good time to spend time with his family. Molly had even cheered the cease-fire between her father and brother. The Colonel, apparently, didn't approve of an astronomer for a son, though he seemed to like Melvin well enough.

Lia, under what she termed 'house arrest' was forced to attend another enormous family get-together over Christmas. In fact, no one had actually seen Lia since after the battle against Ichirou. But, then again, she had left her family's get-together to help them fight, so her disappearance hadn't worried Cleo or Miyako.

Everyone else had gathered at Usagi and Trista's apartment, laughing and playing games. They'd learned Kyle was hopeless at Charades, and no one wanted to challenge Trista or Harper to a game of Trivial Pursuit, ever again. Darien had gotten Usagi under the mistletoe, once on purpose and several times on accident. Though, Trista and Harper seemed to get caught under it the most. Darien had sent a knowing look at Owen, after the third time the two oldest warriors had exchanged a brief kiss.

* * *

><p>"Are you just about ready?" Cleo called out. "Come on, you two. We don't have all night!"<p>

The six girls, everyone except for Lia, had all met up at Usagi's apartment, to get ready for the Snowflake Ball.

Miyako looked up from her silver heels at Cleo's statement. Molly was already done, lounging in the armchair. She had to admit, the two-layered dress looked good on Molly. It was a strapless lavender underdress with the long-sleeved over-layer of sparkling, translucent white gauze. Even her hair-bow matched.

Cleo's blue skirt billowed out around her as she sat on the floor, fixing the hem of Isolde's gown. Miyako wasn't sure how Kyle was going to react, since the front, despite baring Cleo's arms, had a high Mandarin collar, which was deceptive, since her back was almost completely bare.

Isolde, with bared shoulders and a sweetheart neckline on her icy blue dress, had miles of blue, white, and silver tulle forming her wide skirt, almost like a floor-length tutu. On the other hand, Lizzie looked very much like a medieval princess, in blue-violet velvet. The form-fitting bodice flowed into a slightly flared skirt. A belt made of silver links wrapped around the top of her hips, falling down the front of her gown. Like almost everyone else, her shoulders were bare, but tight-fitting sleeves fell from a narrow band, forming the neckline, down to form points on the backs of her hands.

But the gowns Miyako loved the most were the ones she and Usagi were wearing. Both of them had the same strapless gown, Miyako's in a silvery blue and Usagi's in purest white, with a slight flare that rippled to the floor. Over the skirt, from the waist to a foot from the floor, there was a second layer, made of silver lace. Miyako's lace resembled a field of roses, while Usagi's was made of stars, with matching silver ribbons wrapped around their waists. The same lace had been used to make a cross between a bolero jacket and a pair of fingerless gloves. The lace covered them from palm to palm, crossing over their shoulder blades, but allowing plenty of freedom of movement.

Though, Usagi had yet to emerge from her room, along with Trista. No one had seen the Time Guardian's dress yet, though they all had a feeling it would be quite elegant.

Finally, the two of them stepped out. Now Miyako realized what had taken so long. Instead of her bun and ponytail, Usagi's hair had been curled and pinned up, part of it forming a braided crown around her head, and some of it falling in curls to the middle of her back, about the length the people of Terrarose would expect.

Trista's dress was, indeed, fairly elegant, but also very simplistic. A collar of pearls wrapped themselves around her neck. Her dress, a dark silver, fell from two clips on her shoulders, to a scoop neck in front, and then falling straight to the floor. It looked like a solid column when she stood still, until Miyako saw the slit on the side, all the way up, almost to the top of her hip. Though, her dark green hair had remained in its usual style.

Almost all of the others had worn their hair the same was as usual, too. Miyako, however, had pulled her hair out of its usual braid, allowing it to fall in waves down to her hips. It was still slightly pulled back, out of her face, held there by a large, silver rose-shaped barrette, a Christmas gift from Andrew.

Usagi wore her present from Darien, too. It was a thin, slender chain, with three tiny charms hanging from it, the outline of a silver crescent moon, the outline of a silver star, and a small gold charm, the thick outline of a circle, with two thin lines dividing it into four equal parts, and a tiny gold diamond where the two lines crossed Miyako had a feeling only she, the Shitennou, Trista, and Usagi had recognized it as the official symbol of Terra.

Miyako rose, joining the others as they walked down to meet up with the guys, pulling her coat around her. Surprisingly, Lia was waiting with them, dressed in dark blue. The front of her skirt only fell to mid-thigh, revealing knee-high black boots, but the back fell all way to the ground.

"Thought you were grounded," called out Cleo.

Lia shrugged. "I snuck out. You really expect me to miss my first Snowflake Ball?"

Even Kyle joined the others in laughing.

The seven guys all wore the same cut of tux. But, while Melvin, Kyle, and Noland all wore traditional black and white, and Owen wore all black, the others weren't quite so traditional. Harper wore white with silver accents, Darien had white with pale, silvery blue, and Andrew had black, but with the same pale, silvery blue as Darien.

Miyako thought a moment, then decided she didn't care anymore. She walked over and took Andrew's arm. He smiled, and escorted her down the street to the Ball. Darien and Kyle exchanged matching frowns, until Usagi grabbed Darien and beamed up at him.

The rest of the girls hurried on ahead, Noland escorting Lizzie, since Melvin had already started walking off with Molly. Owen graciously offered his arm to Isolde. Lia hurried off ahead of them, even as Kyle took his sister's arm.

Darien winked at Usagi, as they followed, leaving Harper and Trista alone. They heard Harper nervously clear his throat, before they had taken more than a few steps.

"Um, would you, um, that is…"

Usagi bit back a laugh at the normally collected Shitennou of Souls.

"Are you asking to escort me to the Ball?" Trista's voice came out with a bit of a squeak.

"Yes, actually, though if you don't want…" Harper was suddenly cut off, but Usagi didn't look back to see why.

"What is it with your Senshi and my Shitennou?" Darien groaned, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

-8-

And thus ends Elemental Secrets! So, I got this chapter up a day earlier than I had planned! Yay for me!

I've already started working on Nemesis Secrets, the next story in the Secrets Saga, with the first two chapters already written. I just have to type them up. Hopefully, I can have the first one up by next Friday or Saturday. I hope!

Anyway, I've also decided to take on a challenge fic. It involves Serena/Usagi teaming up with the Outers before she meets the Inners. I have the basic premise worked out, but I'm trying to decide on a villain. So, I figured I'd ask for some opinions. I'm debating between using Alan and Ann (Ali and En) or creating a new sub-general for Beryl. I won't use Danburite/Adonis, since I'd rather leave him with Venus/Sailor V. Just give me your opinion, if you'd like. I don't want to say too much about it, just yet. I'd rather get at least a little farther on Nemesis Secrets, first, but this one keeps bugging me.


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